


Your Law of Gravity

by compo67



Series: It Takes Verse [2]
Category: CW Network RPF, Supernatural RPF
Genre: Age Regression/De-Aging, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Dark, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Science Fiction, Bottom Jared, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Implied/Referenced Sexual Assault, M/M, Mpreg, Multi, Older Jensen Ackles, Past Abuse, Time Travel, Top Jensen Ackles, Underage Sex, Werecats, Young Jared Padalecki
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-23
Updated: 2014-05-30
Packaged: 2017-12-30 05:42:13
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Underage
Chapters: 68
Words: 99,485
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1014815
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/compo67/pseuds/compo67
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The sequel to It Takes a lot of Water. A new moon rises and our party must acclimate to new surroundings and society, filled with monumental emotional and physical challenges. In the acres surrounding Lake Claiborne, Louisiana, in a pride that has flourished for generations, a new Alpha decides their survival in this world.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> *This is a sequel. To make any sense at all you'll have to read 'It Takes a lot of Water'.*
> 
> This will be less dark-fic and more sci-fi/fantasy based, with a lot of references to "It Takes" and those parts will be darker. I've tagged it as dark fic just in case, because we'll be dealing with heavy themes throughout. **I will be updating the tags as we go, so please be sure to read the fic tags and the warnings in my notes before each chapter, thank you.**
> 
> I am so excited for werecats. I really need to give a lot of inspirational credit to lexicale's Dawnbringer verse, which is amazing and breathtaking and is one of those fics that inspired me to write my own. I was torn between werewolves and werecats; I chose cats because of the purring. That'll be a scene later on. :)
> 
> (Please go read Dawnbringer verse, it's lovely.)
> 
> This is my first time writing anything with shifters, please bear with me. This is set in a version of our world, so there are elements of our time in this verse, but not all is the same. There really is a Lake Clairborne but big cats aren't exactly native to Louisiana (save for a few sightings). I'm taking a few things from here and there to make this verse.
> 
> Title comes from "Gravity" by Vienna Teng.
> 
> Okay, that's enough of my rambling! I'll be posting this on my NaNoWriMo account under Compo67 and linking on ittakesalotofwater.tumblr.com. <3
> 
> (pssst... this fic will have fisherman Jensen...)
> 
> Thank you so much for reading!
> 
> Edit: Prologue is in Jensen's POV. We'll have some chapters of his POV in this fic, but most will be from Jared's.

Jensen:

The night before they were married, it rained.

It stormed so hard, Jared was up half the night on the phone with his momma, trying to make plans around the weather. His momma could be heard through the phone and across the room _without_ the speaker on. When they started talking about what to do with the cake and candles, Jensen got up and walked out of their hotel room to the small balcony.

Three floors up, covered by the balcony above, he looked out at the parking lot. It amused him to see so many people still so busy at this time of night. They carried on about their business, oblivious to anything else around them.

When Jared finally stepped out to join him, Jensen snorted. “I could hear her from here.”

“She’s excited. Can you blame her?” Jared sighed and bumped their shoulders together, leaning and matching Jensen’s stance. “Hey, I’m getting married tomorrow.”

It was just the sound of their voices and the rain that Jensen heard. Nothing about the cars in the lot of what people around their room were doing; only Jared and the soothing sounds of thunder nearby.

He closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them and looked at Jared with a smirk. “I hear the guy you’re marrying is a real jerk.”

“Oh, he is,” Jared replied without missing a beat. “But his dick is huge.”

Just before Jensen could respond, something else was added, this time in the shell of his ear, in a deep voice that never failed to start terrible, horrible, things. “Remember that time in the Venusian bunker?”

Blushing from ear to ear, Jensen does a full body flail.

His partner just laughed, dimples out, and stood up to his full height, confident, radiant, and happy. “Last night before I make an honest man out of you Jenny,” he declared and walked towards the screen door back to their room. “Got the rest of our lives ahead of us, Captain. No one’s gonna fool around with us. I say we start the honeymoon tonight.”

Before Jensen headed inside to follow, he looked out at the parking lot once again.

He held his hand out and let rain trickle onto him.

It was cold weather but the forecast predicted sun in seven hours.

It’d be worth a little rain.

 

 

Somewhere, Jared was crying.

And it was raining again.


	2. Landing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A crucial event is witnessed; Jared lands.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's here! /screams in excitement/
> 
> Please remember to read tags! This chapter is a bit on the violent side. Yes, it's also confusing, but no worries. Stick around. 
> 
> Updates and art are at ittakesalotofwater.tumblr.com. 
> 
> it's finally here! :D kudos and comments are loved! <3

On an invisible platform, lodged in a barren pocket of space, Jensen died.

Fleeting, blistering moments seared into Jared’s vision when he could nearly make out the hideous form responsible. Glistening in rancid glory, pulsating with uninhibited power, it reached out with one of its innumerable claws and gripped Jensen’s body. It spoke through a mouth it did not possess, in a language Jared could not understand.

Desperate, Jared tried to see its face.

Space witch.

Murderess.

The Doctor, the Captain, his Master, _Jensen_ wasn’t only dead. He was battered. Every elegant angle of his face was shattered. How long had he suffered? How long had be struggled to breathe? He had been found and taken here for what? No, he knew the answer to that one—for the promise he would see Jared again; for the singular hope that they might meet once more.

Breaking past a wall, Jared felt himself change. His belly ached.

The ability to bear life made a breeder worth living. What kind of breeder didn’t breed?

A dead one.

“No!” Jared heard and felt himself scream. The push of his lungs forced out a cry that vibrated through murky, cold nothingness. He had to reach Jensen; he had to tell him saying yes would bring horrifying atrocities to more souls than their own. Fragile, innocent lives would be lost and thrown into a sealed place, tiny bones processed into soil. They would never rest in peace. “Don’t!” he screeched, slanting forward.

Jared’s left arm broke.

He was landing.

Something punctured his belly from its tender underside and yanked, dragged itself up in an erratic motion, ripping up the muscles and tissue there, scraping and gnawing.

The universe was moving; it wasn’t only him and it wasn’t only them. Everything was shifting, tilting and tossed and thrown off its trajectory. Behind him he felt the sting of the motel sign, the bite of a dark red mark. In one sharp inhale of breath he felt Jensen’s neck snap. A freckled hand impossibly reached out towards her but why? Why try to touch her?

Blood was heavy all around him.

Jared opened his mouth again, in pain and in warning. Water rushed all around him and… sand… wasn’t it funny? Funny how sand could feel so soft even when a thread heaved him forward into darkness, pulling at him through delicate layers of flesh, catapulting and spitting him out at the side of her hideous base.

“Jay, I’m sorry.”

“Jensen, please.”

“I can’t.”

“Don’t do this,” Jared begged, clutching at his belly and forehead, quaking in pain. Not a moment later he could hear his voice, but he was not controlling it. He could not see. “It’s too late.”

Jensen was dropped; he landed with a thud.

A claw grabbed Jared’s neck and wrung him forward. “So glad to meet you,” Jared’s voice hissed, causing him to reel sideways, gasping in agony.

Opening his eyes, vision focusing, he saw the witch’s front. He saw why Jensen had been reaching out. Why he made the deal.

It was his face—Jared’s own, youthful, trusting face—staring back at him.

 

“Jared!”

 

“I’m all over it.”

“Spend forever with my poison arms…”

“Around you…”

“No one’s gonna fool around with us, Jen.”

 

 

There were so many voices.

They should be muffled but he could hear them perfectly.

Jared landed in water.

 


	3. Ripped

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's a struggle to stay above water.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lengthy descriptions of open water, drowning, and waves in this chapter. It freaks me out--I'm definitely not a swimmer--so just a head's up to anyone else who has that issue also. 
> 
> So excite to move forward after this! :D
> 
> Kudos and comments are terribly terribly appreciated and loved. <3

Breeders were never taught to swim.

Anything deeper than a bathtub meant a murky, stifling end.

Throughout the academy it had been whispered that the breeders deemed unworthy of retraining were sent to the nearest lake. These were breeders who had committed acts so terrible, their deaths were drawn out. Instant killing would be too merciful and of course there were several methods of punishment; drowning, however, guaranteed at least five minutes of pointless struggle. At dawn these breeders were taken out on a boat with a group of officials and high ranking Masters. In the deepest part of the lake those breeders were tossed.

Into the water they were lost.

Just as Jared was lost.

He had hit the water with such force that his left arm broke in two clean pieces and the wound on his leg split open wider. Colliding with the choppy surface knocked the wind out of him. Panicking and in agony, he struggled to right himself. Waves bashed him, smacked him across the face the few seconds he did surface. He couldn’t tell if it was raining or if the water was just that brutal. All he knew was that every way—down, up, around, side to side—was pitch-black. He could not focus long enough to see any light or object. Thrust back down, wrenched and crushed under a wall of water, he spiraled and began to descend. When he saw his own blood begin to stain the water around him, he opened his mouth in panic to scream—a mistake. The water around him swelled and shoved, rushed into his ears and pressed against his eyes. One arm completely useless and no idea how to swim properly, he floundered quickly. No matter how hard he fought to pull himself upwards, he made no headway. Surrounded and submerged, he knew his frantic movements made not one ripple at the surface.

There was no more air.

There was no more light.

He cried out in his mind for help, for Jensen.

All he could feel was his body seizing, his muscles and limbs burning and beginning to go slack. A great drowsiness caused blackness to press in the corners of his eyes; it slipped into his chest and slowed his heart.

Where was he?

Hands grabbed at him.

He thought they were dragging him down, hauling him into death.

It wasn’t until he felt a hand on his face that he realized… he was at the surface.

Coughing, vomiting, and blind, he reached out for the hands, clinging and clawing to stay afloat. Even though he could breathe the waves were fierce. The sound of rushing water panicked him. He would do anything to keep from going under again.

“Jared!” a voice called out and the hands gripped onto his shirt. Bobbing in open water, unable to feel or see any hope of shore or land, Jared opened his mouth to scream. A surge of water shoved him under once more; though this time the hands brought him back within seconds. But how long could they last like this? He was more than useless with his injuries and panic—he could not orient himself—and already he was exhausted from the pounding of the waves.

He could not feel any place to rest.

“Jared, please! Hold on!”

He heard the voice shout again; it sounded like they too were struggling. Everything was distorted by the rush of water but the voice managed to press itself near his right ear. “Jared, hold on!”

Nicky.

“No!” she screeched when they were separated by a hard current of water. Jared fell under immediately, the force of the wave feeling like it was pounding down directly on his head, but this time he could see. And he had a reason to fight. She was out there; he just had to get to her again.

Three times they found each other and were ripped apart by the water.

Jared felt his arm snap once more as he was trying to block the blow of a wave. Desperate, he kicked with as much force as he had left. When they found each other again, he was able to see their surroundings a little clearer for the first time. The immensity of the water around them drove him to scream. He had never been in anything deeper than the tub in Master Eli’s household. He would give anything to be there now. How they had played in that water, slipping and sliding against each other, warm and surrounded by bubbles.

“Stop! Calm down!” Nicky urged him, shaking him slightly. She drew him near before they were yanked under together. When they surfaced, thunder could be heard, the sound slapping against the water. Doing his best to make it easier on the older breeder, Jared tried to keep still, holding onto her with his right hand.

It was a long time in the water.

Over and over again, they were sliced apart by choppy gushes of water.

It was a long way down to the undetectable bottom.

“Hold my hand!” Nicky gasped during one of their few breaks from the rush of water, which was getting colder and darker by the minute. “Hold on!” A crest nearly broke their hold on each other. Both breeders cried out in pain, pelted on every side. Their only stability was the few precious seconds they were pressed against the other.

A clap of thunder followed by a large upsurge of water caused them to go under without warning. When Jared came up choking, he could not see Nicky. He bobbed on the surface for less than a minute before beginning to sink down again. In a rush, he felt her grab his waist and pull him up with her. How she had the strength—let alone the knowledge—to swim for the both of them he couldn’t possibly understand. Both breeders were wheezing with effort to remain above water as much as possible. The gash in Jared’s leg would not stop bleeding and even though he could feel his broken arm, he knew he was still in shock because the pain had not yet settled in. It would only be a matter of time before they both felt the full extent of their injuries and the toll their struggle was taking.

There was a vast silence for a split second that chilled them both.

Something was swimming towards them.

They should have been relieved but they knew better. They also knew what the glint of teeth looked like.

“Hold my hand,” Nicky shouted, grabbing for Jared before they could be split apart again.

 

Just before a wave hit, Jared gasped.

There was more than one something out there.

 

 


	4. Lost

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jensen and Misha land, receiving help from an unlikely source.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No specific warnings for this chapter. 
> 
> It's a fun change of pace writing from Jensen's POV. :) 
> 
> Moving along!

Jensen:

They landed on some flowers—always with the fucking flowers.

Their landing was anything but smooth; they hit the ground hard and on their backs. Completely winded, bruised, and covered in dirt, it was several minutes before either could speak, let alone sit up and examine their surroundings.

Coughing and trying to assess where Jared was, Jensen groaned at the sound of thunder and the feeling of rain on his face. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Misha. “You asshole,” Jensen grumbled, trying to clear his throat. Jared’s voice from the hotel room echoed in his head. He managed to call out for Jared, though his ears were ringing and muffled.

“I thought I had it,” Misha sputtered, sitting up but falling to his side with a pained grunt. “My ankle’s sprained, Captain.” A moment later, trying to get up from his place in the dirt, Jensen heard Misha shout for Nicky. Something wrong in the tone of his voice sent a shiver up Jensen’s spine.

“Interference,” Jensen huffed and finally sat up, feeling bruising in his ribs. These injuries were fine—they would deal with them later—what was not tolerable was the glaring absence of half their party. Three times Jensen called out, each yell louder and more panicked than the next. He had been holding onto Jared’s hand for the entire trip, even when they were shadows passing through the universe, shifting from one world to the other. Even amongst burning, brilliant stars they had remained in physical contact; Jared followed all of Jensen’s instructions with precision.

Clawing at the ground to haul himself up, Jensen rose, stumbled, and fell on his knees. He was completely unbalanced, unable to get steady footing for another few minutes. The more he was able to examine their landing, the more he found horribly wrong with it. When he was finally able to stand without tumbling or twisting, he went over to Misha, who looked as battered and worried as he did.

“Slowly,” Jensen murmured to the other man, helping him up. “Can you walk?”

Testing out his ankle, Misha winced but nodded. He could place some weight on it, enough to move. They had no choice but to continue on. A sweep of their immediate area proved that the breeders were nowhere near and hadn’t landed with them. The field they were in was actually a small section of an extensive garden; he could make out patches of vegetables further out. Glancing over where he had landed—twenty feet from Misha’s spot—he saw something peculiar. It was either a sign or coincidence and Jensen was not a big believer in either. There, just on the edge of the one inch deep imprint Jensen’s body had made in the ground, it stood unharmed and blooming.

It was a dark red rose.

 

“I can hear him crying,” Jensen announced, tightness in his chest and panic rising. “It’s in my head but it’s there.”

“I haven’t heard any sound but that cannot be good. Nicky was with me the entire time, as I am certain you were both behind us.” Some of their gear and bags had been tossed aside in the landing but everything was there—including the packs belonging to both breeders.

The garden was at the edge of a forest with tall, thick trees on one side and an opening to a field on the other. Jensen tried to focus his eyes through the darkness—of course they had landed at night—and rain, ignoring the rumbling of thunder in the distance. They needed to figure out where to go and it had to be a smart decision; every minute was critical and it would do no good for them to get lost or separated.

Scrubbing his face, Jensen growled, “How can this be? This isn’t the right landing location at all. Where the fuck is Jeff?”

“A great deal of things are out of sort, Jensen. Our landings have been rough before but never so volatile,” Misha responded, then quieted his voice. “And we never land separated.”

Misha was right. Even when Jensen or Misha had helmed an expedition, their landings had never been brutal. When Jared, the expert time traveler amongst them, had been in charge of a mission their landings had been as smooth and seamless as walking into another room. Never had any member of their party gone missing at the landing site or landed outside of it. They had charted exact coordinates to land in this new world, ones that had Jeff waiting for them. They were miles away from where they should be. So many things were wrong but how?

“Son of a bitch!” Jensen roared. He had no answers, two people missing, and no idea where the fuck anyone was, himself included.

Anxiety rising, he could not ignore the weight of dread in his stomach. Just as he was about to choose a direction at random, he looked over at the rose. It was blooming at night and in the rain, already unusual things, but it was also standing proud and firm in its place. Although there was rain and thunder, there was no strong wind.

The rose moved.

It leaned towards the field, petals and leaves extending, reaching out.

“This way,” Jensen said firmly, looping an arm around Misha’s waist. “C’mon, hurry.”

 


	5. Shore

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pulled from the water by strangers, neither breeder feels safe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah! Introductions... sort of... 
> 
> Also, an important note about this fic: everyone is a person of color unless specifically mentioned. If we could frame characters from this verse in our terms, Nicky would be Japanese, and the Alpha (whom we meet in this chapter) would be Afro-Latino. I hope to flesh this all out more, but I think it's helpful to know this. Either way, I felt it necessary to point that out. :) 
> 
> Onward! 
> 
> Comments are very much appreciated! <3

They would not have lasted ten more minutes.

For all her strength and determination to live, Nicky could not keep them afloat for much longer. Already, her hold on the younger breeder was slipping, made more precarious with each wave that battered them. Jared could feel her muscles begin to give out. The teeth that surrounded them faded in and out of their vision; neither breeder was sure which end was more terrible.

Crushed by waves or eaten by whatever creatures roamed this body of water?

They were each certain that they would meet an end before dawn. Separated from their Masters and hidden by darkness, who would find them? Jared felt Nicky run a hair through his hair in a split second of tranquil water. The next wave that hit them wrenched them apart and Jared was sent tumbling. Instinctively, he opened his mouth to scream in pain—now he could feel the effect of his arm being snapped—and ended up swallowing cold, dark water.

When he was pulled up to the surface, he reached for Nicky, hoping to grab onto her once more.

Instead, he touched something filled with air, slightly pliable in the grip of his good hand. It took him a moment to realize what it was—what it meant.

It was a life preserver.

Someone was rescuing them.

 

Breeders were in charge of raising and seeing after children and young Masters. To adequately prepare breeders for this responsibility, the academy Jared had attended had trained them in basic, rudimentary first-aid. Among this training—which Jared had only received half of—was how to save a young Master from drowning. He had been shown what a life preserver and a life jacket were and told that no breeder was ever to receive either. If a young Master was in the water with a breeder next to them, every effort should be made to rescue the young Master.

Training remaining in his head, Jared nearly let go of the life preserver tossed to him. In the end, he held on. He could face whatever punishment awaited him on shore; anything was better than being in the water. Frantically, he looked for Nicky, who was some ten feet away from him, holding onto her own life preserver. When he saw that she was taken care of, he looked out further to see that strings were attached to the rings to pull them towards shore.

The strings were attached to people.

At first, Jared’s hopes rose and he thought of his Master—Jensen had come to save them!

However, even at night and with water whipping all around them, he could tell that the person pulling each breeder was no one he knew. There were thousands of things to fear about these people and what would happen to Nicky and himself once they were pulled out. However, exhausted and in near blinding pain, Jared could not think about more than the secure feeling of land beneath him. Several times waves overtook them, pushed them down and back under. With every thrust into rushing, icy water, Jared lost a little more hope. He could not tolerate any more. Each passing minute was more terrible than the next, even with the preserver dragging him up, pulling him back to the surface.

Coughing and breathing in air that felt like daggers, Jared could feel his energy fading rapidly.

When the shoreline became visible, Nicky managed to get closer to Jared. Her hand on his shoulder, minding his arm, made the last leg of their arrival on land smoother. Immediately, both breeders huddled together, neither one allowing for more than an inch between them. The feeling of sand underneath them, and the receding of all water, made Jared sob. He waited for another wave, held his breath repeatedly, bracing himself over and over again for the final wall of water that would drag him down and never let go.

The older breeder tried to steady him. She hoarsely whispered that they had to pay attention. When they were able to look up, they saw that the people who had rescued them were standing at a distance away, looking at the breeders cautiously.

Jared thought he heard voices but they did not come from either rescuer. Their rescuers looked much like any other Master Jared had seen; one with a flat chest and the other with breasts, both had long hair and dark brown skin. Their dress was much less formal, wearing trousers, boots, and simple shirts. From their time in the water they were completely soaked, but their stances signified power. It seemed that their swim out to rescue the breeders hadn’t been physically exhausting. It was clear that they were powerful; certainly more so than the injured breeders before them. And yet no action was being taken, until one of them shouted something, causing both breeders to flinch.

A group of four people appeared, led by a Master whom Jared assumed had a high rank. He had much of the same features as the first two strangers, with shorter hair and a distinguishing manner of walk and stance. Specifically, Jared could not make out his face, but his voice carried. He wore boots with heels and managed to retain his balance on the soft sand. Something about this Master frightened Jared; he did not know what it was. Jared coughed, hearing himself wheeze, ignoring the taste of blood in his mouth.

“Status report, Madison,” the leader commanded, stopping some twenty feet away from the breeders, observing them carefully.

“Yes Alpha. Beta Team A heard them, Beta Team B saw them. We were the first to reach them. The one on the right was keeping them afloat. The one on the left is severely injured; we have waited for your instruction before approaching them, Alpha.”

Before any other movement was made by the strangers, Nicky moved so that she was in front of Jared, kneeling and trembling but insistent. Her position was half of respect and half of defiance. The leader seemed amused by this and snapped his fingers twice. Swiftly, torches were brought about, providing some light and Jared could make them all out a little more, but pain was setting into his system.

“Easy now,” the leader said to Nicky, stepping forward a few paces forward from the others. “We have been expecting your arrival, though not in this manner and not at this time. Your companion requires medical attention at once. May we help them?”

Jared felt Nicky’s hesitation and her own exhaustion. Their clothes—the prized shirts and trousers the Judge had given them—were little more than sopping rags at this point. The warmth from the torches was inviting to Jared; he longed to move closer to the flames and rest his eyes.

Clearing her throat, Nicky started to talk. “Where is my Master?” she asked, keeping her tone firm and sharp, though Jared knew it pained her to speak. “I agree to nothing without our Masters.”

As if directing a challenge, the leader maintained eye contact with Nicky, remaining unnervingly silent and still. It seemed like he was contemplating what to do with the breeders. They were already outnumbered; perhaps their fate in the water might have been more merciful. Jared began to mewl from pain, unable to stop. Both breeders were grateful when a shout rang out for the leader, who turned and responded to it.

Seeing that the leader was occupied for a moment, Nicky sat in the sand, took off what was left of her shirt and covered the younger breeder with it. Jared sniffed a thank you and she silenced him, insisting that he rest. Nervous, she did not take her eyes off the strangers that surrounded them.

The leader returned, his lean form moving closer to them with an elegance Jared had never seen in any breeder or Master. This stranger eyed Nicky’s state and then looked over at Jared, frowning at the sight but not commenting. Black spots pressed at the sides of Jared’s vision. The younger breeder knew his consciousness would not hold out much longer.

He did manage to see the people behind the leader move forward as well, closing in.

“Looks like that’s them now,” the leader declared to Nicky, then turned to his people. “I want them taken to the safe house, kept separated from the other two and the tall one until I give orders.”

“Misha?!” Nicky managed to shout out and spat at the leader. “You can’t keep us apart!”

Before leaving them to be handled by those he commanded, the leader paused.

“My word is law, omega, and you will learn that. Beta Team C, back to your posts. Beta Team A, carry them over.” Commands were given rapidly, in a tone of voice that told Jared this leader was a Master used to respect and authority, which made the young breeder shudder. “You are all under orders not to shift in their presence, am I clear? I want two guards posted outside the safe house and only I and Dee are allowed admittance. Well? Go on, get to it.”

 

The last thing Jared felt was Nicky pressing him close to her chest, cradling his head.

As he blacked out, they were separated, her hands falling away.


	6. Strain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jared wakes up in a room by himself, then has a visitor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No specific warnings for this chapter but usual warnings apply. 
> 
> So happy to be moving along and getting more done for here! The next chapter will move faster. :D
> 
> Thank you for reading! <3 Comments are love.

He dreamt of kisses.

Slow, tender, sweet kisses without any hurry in the world. Ones that paused at his jaw line, trailed down to his neck, wandered further to his chest and middle. If he thought about it more, he knew those kisses were gifted to him from his Master, who smiled and was pleased with him. These kisses led to affectionate caresses, gentle fingers carding through his hair. Jared could feel himself purring, hoping Jensen recognized his sound.

As he surfaced to consciousness, he felt his body shift. He hoped he was in bed still, with just a few more hours. He would wake up, check on Jensen and see what time it was, then hopefully fall back asleep.

He took a deep breath, expecting the scent of his Master.

However, he smelled something sterile and foreign. As he began to open his eyes, he found himself thinking that perhaps he was with Nicky, but this did not smell like their household or feel like any of the beds they shared. Eyes fully opened and focusing, he woke up to a blank white ceiling. When he realized he was strapped down, that was when he began to panic.

Vivid flashbacks of the water they had nearly drowned in hit him with full force. He could feel the freezing walls of black, unyielding water smack against every part of him. There was another noise in the room that he could not pinpoint for several minutes; it was the loud wheezing of his panicked, erratic breathing. Twisting against the leather straps, he tried to break free, and then settled on trying to view his surroundings. Turning his head did not give him much of a view—he was housed in a mostly empty room, about the size of a small bedroom, with no windows and only the bed he was on and a desk in the corner for furnishing. There were no pictures on the walls, no decoration, which suggested to him that this was not a room where someone lived, rather a room where individuals were kept. His own thoughts frightened him, causing his heart to beat wildly. He was not sure if it was better to remain quiet or scream; which would cause him less pain? If he did not scream there was no way for Jensen to hear him, if he did scream he might call the attention of those who had placed him here.

And where was Nicky? Was she somewhere near, perhaps in a similar room, in the same state? What if something had happened to her? How would he ever know? How long would they keep him in this place? Would they ever let him out? What if Jensen hadn’t landed with them here and he was hoping for nothing?

Panting and his breath rattling, the younger breeder screamed. His throat was wrecked—in a way familiar to him after his time at the kennels—but he managed to make some sound. When his cries for help were unanswered for several minutes, he began to try and figure out what to do.

He was dressed in a plain shirt and trousers, things that felt new but they were made of something close to paper. Every small movement he managed to make produced a crinkling sound. His belly was bruised and tender, but he did not feel any scrapes or wounds there. His arm and left leg were different stories. The gash on his leg was still there but he could not see or feel if it was bleeding; the trousers did not feel sticky with blood but Jared knew too well that he would not heal quickly in this state.

The arm he had broken remained so, strapped securely to his side. He did not look at it very long—the sight of it all mangled and covered in deep black bruises made him ill.

There had been quite a few times when he had woken up beaten. Several nights when old Master returned from town and had a taxing day he would take out his frustrations on Jared. On the best nights, Master would beat him and leave him shut in his closet, forgotten until whenever he decided to unlock the door. On the worst nights, Master would beat him, fuck him, and repeatedly hold him down in a tub full of cold water. Those were nights when Nathaniel had to make sure he did not choke on his own blood. At the time, Jared had been immensely thankful to both his Master and Nathaniel; his Master thought him worthy enough to make use of him, even if it was in violent ways, and Nathaniel was so generous that he spared ten minutes of his time to look after Jared.

Now, Jared began to see it all differently.

His thoughts were interrupted when he was able to see a few of the things on the desk in the corner of the room.

Surgical instruments.

Distantly, he could hear Nicky in his mind, urging him not to panic, to calm down, to think things through first. But there were knives and sharp, twisting utensils on that desk, pointed at him threateningly.

As he inhaled to let out another cry, the door slowly swung open.

Jared swallowed his yell. A tall man with blond hair, dressed in a white coat and green outfit, entered the room, shutting the door immediately behind him. There was a clipboard in his hands and a cautious expression on his youthful face. The young breeder was afraid to breathe or move an inch.

“Jared, my name is Dustin,” the stranger said, his voice light and natural. He remained at the doorway to speak. “I’m a Doctor. I’d like to spend some time with you right now.”

There were two options Jared could see: he could scream and hope that someone he knew would hear or he could remain silent and complacent and accept whatever was going to happen. That was what his training told him to do—it was the most natural option.

It surprised him when he started screaming.

The Doctor flinched but did not move to silence Jared by means he was accustomed to. He expected a rough hand on his mouth or a pillow or a firm slap to the face. Instead, the Doctor motioned with his hands for Jared to calm down. He set down the clipboard, covering the surgical tools, and took a seat. When the young breeder’s throat gave out, he cleared his own throat.

“I apologize, I know you’re probably…” he sighed and shook his head. “Okay, I’m going to forget my professional code right now. Look, Jared, you can call me Dee, everyone around here does. I haven’t brought you in to experiment on or do anything you don’t want me to do. Do you understand that? Can you nod for me?”

Nicky’s personality must have been rubbing off on him; he narrowed his eyes and gave the Doctor a hard look. “Why am I strapped down?” he asked as loud as his voice would allow, which was hardly above a whisper but echoed in the empty room.

“Because trauma patients usually wake up and hurt themselves in the process. You’re startled by your surroundings, don’t know where you are, you start moving all over the place,” the Doctor replied and stood up slowly. “If you promise not to move too much, can you mind your arm? And your leg. I disinfected and bandaged it, but it might need stitches and I didn’t want to do anything until you woke up.”

It seemed strange to Jared that he was being offered release from his immobile place on the bed, but he readily agreed. Anything was better than being forced to remain still—he would know.

“Great, okay, here we go. I’m going to get close to you and untie these for you. You should sit up and lean against the headboard, you may feel dizzy.” The Doctor did exactly as he said he would, telegraphing his movements much like Jensen did whenever Jared felt skittish. He continued to speak as he removed each tie, starting with Jared’s ankles. “Your companion, Nicky, is two rooms over. She doesn’t look too bad from what I can tell—lots of bruising, some sore ribs, few scrapes here and there, mostly it’s just exhaustion—but she won’t let me do anything until she sees you.” He stepped back and helped Jared to sit up. His hands were warm and only slightly calloused. Upon clearer view Jared could tell that this Doctor had blue eyes and was still quite young, perhaps close to Jensen’s age.

“So,” he said and moved to bring about the desk chair to Jared’s bedside, “do you have anything you’d like to ask me? Oh, here, let’s elevate that arm a bit.” He moved a little too quickly, so Jared winced in fear, but mumbled an apology as he retrieved a spare pillow from underneath the bed. Gently, he propped up Jared’s arm to rest on it, then looked at him directly, waiting for his questions.

The urge to sleep came over the young breeder but he struggled past it. He needed to remain awake. This Doctor could be lying—he had no reason to tell the truth, no obligation to tell Jared anything—but if Nicky was only two rooms over he needed to be with her.

“Where is my Master?” he decided to ask, since he had been told where Nicky was.

The Doctor frowned, which made his handsome features appear older. “Well, uh, that’s not so easy to explain, Jared. We’re keeping you apart for now until a few things are sorted out. It seems that there are a few details your mate failed to mention before… Anyway, all of that isn’t important at the moment. The three of them are safe, they just have to meet with our Alpha and get things cleared up.”

“Why are they separated?” he dared to inquire, pressing his luck.

Another frown, but Jared couldn’t tell if it was directed at him or the situation. “Huh, well, I guess… Jared, here in our part of the world, omegas are sacred. You are the only ones that can carry life. Without omegas, no one would exist. So… to have you arriving here like this, so injured and left alone, well, that raises certain questions about how well your mate is equipped to take care of you. We need to make sure that you and your companion are not being abused.”

“Abused?!” Jared cried out, desperately looking at the Doctor. “That’s not it! Oh, please, Jensen would never hurt me and the Judge would never hurt Nicky! The water… there was so much water…”

He went silent immediately where there was a loud knock on the door.

“Excuse me,” the Doctor sighed and stood up, walking to the door in two swift movements. He opened the door halfway, saw who it was, then opened it all the way. There was the leader from before.

Now that Jared could see him clearer, he looked intimidating but familiar in a way. His features were delicate and sharp, with an attractiveness that could have made him a valued first breeder. The color of his skin was a deep, rich bronze; his hair was tightly curled and dark brown with a few amber streaks. He might have been a first breeder of a Master with high rank and title. Although his stance and movements were commanding and assertive, Jared still noticed the same rare elegance as before. This leader seemed to look and act a little differently around the Doctor, though his glance at Jared was completely formal and distant.

“How is he?” the leader asked the Doctor, not Jared directly.

The Doctor sighed and shook his head. “I’ve told you, they don’t do well separated. Neither will consent to treatment without knowing the other is secure. It’s putting a very real strain on his heart and nervous system.”

Jared observed their body language and tones—observational skills could be life or death for breeders. It may mean the difference between a piece of chocolate at the end of the night or a beating in the kitchen. The leader sensed Jared watching them, glancing over, then looking back at the Doctor with a frown.

“This is your professional opinion, right, Dee? Not just your sympathy?”

That seems to cause the Doctor to bristle. “Yes it’s my professional opinion, Alpha. I relented to the straps but isolation will do no one any good. The older omega seems to be his caretaker. I could bring her in here and treat them both.”

There was an entirely different and silent conversation that was passing between them, one that Jared could not decipher but understood the significance of. Someone was going to be persuaded to change their minds and Jared was surprised when the leader relented. “Fine,” he said to the Doctor, shutting the door. “Move them both to a larger room and accommodate them there. I’m going to the others.”

“When will I see my Master?” Jared asked in a last moment of desperation. He was not struck or shouted at for speaking without permission, but he was given a cold look from the leader.

With a nod towards the Doctor, the leader answered, “Comfort yourself that Dee was very persuasive just now and enjoy the company of your companion. Dee, I’ve declined your request for an assistant. I don’t want them talking to anyone but you.”

“But it’ll take twice as long…” the Doctor started to say.

“No, I’m sorry,” the leader said firmly. “I’ll be back later.”

The door was shut softly; it was not at all slammed like Jared was used to. The Doctor sighed and walked over to Jared once more. He gave the young breeder a small smile. “He isn’t usually so… blunt.”

Boldly, Jared muttered, “He doesn’t seem to like you very much.”

This made the Doctor laugh; his face turned a light pink. He started to help Jared up and off the bed to be carried to another room, where Nicky would also be moved to. Before they left the room, the Doctor made a comment.

“True, Jared. But he kind of has to like me sometimes. We’re mates. Liking me is a tiny requirement.”  


	7. Tuning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Doctor fulfills his promise and the breeders are reunited.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> quick update! 
> 
> more later, thank you for reading, comments are love!

He was made to promise that he would not injure his arm in his excitement over seeing Nicky. Of all the things he could agree to, that request was the most simple.

The place where they were being kept wasn’t at all like a government facility, except for its stark, bare quality. Although there were no personal touches, it seemed like the building was well-used and Jared could see no instruments of torture or interrogation. However, something quiet in his mind reminded him that one did not need to see weapons for there to be some present. He had never seen the cannons of water in that room. The thought of that made him silent.

As they walked past a few rooms, Jared did not hear screaming and he did not see any individual being hurt or dragged from place to place. In fact, it seemed that the building was unoccupied, though Jared did know the leader—who some called Alpha—did not want many people around the breeders. He wondered why this was but ignored the question as the Doctor stopped in front of a room. With the swipe of a card in a slot, the Doctor was granted access. So the rooms were locked—that suggested good and bad things to Jared.

There had been one night at old Master’s household, when he had been locked into the closet for an offense he could not remember. There was a party going on—yes, he had just arrived at old Master’s household not too long before—and one of the guests, a Master, was trying to get into the closet to try Jared out. Over and over again, that Master shouted and pounded their fists against the closet door. He curled up in the corner, as far away from the door as possible, terrified and hurting, hoping that this Master would go away soon. Thankfully, that lock held. Other times he had not been so fortunate with locks.

Sometimes locks were good things. They kept bad people out.

But most often, it had been Jared’s experience that locks were made to keep him in.

“Here we are,” the Doctor announced quietly and set Jared down on a larger bed than the one before. The new room was significantly more spacious, this time with the bed, a desk, and a small table. There were no straps on this bed that Jared could see and he was grateful. Just as before, the Doctor gently propped up his arm with a pillow, though his movements remained slow and careful.

“I’m going to bring her in and then I would like to get started with treatment,” he murmured, walking over to the table three steps away and pouring a glass of water from a pitcher. “See if you can drink this and keep it down. Otherwise I’ll have to do an IV and I would rather not, if it can be avoided.” He placed the glass in Jared’s good hand, making sure he had a firm grip on it before letting go. The Doctor’s eyes were blue, nearly turquoise. Jared remembered a ceramic serving dish that matched that shade, it had always been one of his favorites. It was then that he thought about his pack and hoped that what little he had brought with him had made the trip. If it hadn’t, he hoped Jensen would understand that he hadn’t meant to lose any of it; they were his only possessions, the only things he could call his own.

With an easy smile, the Doctor watched him drink half of the glass, then turned to exit. “I’ll be right back, won’t be more than five minutes and you’ll be with each other again. Excuse me.” The door slid open on its own, which surprised but amused Jared. Who would have thought! Doors that moved without anyone to push. Excited to be with Nicky—and hopefully get more answers—he tried to make the best of his situation. He was relatively warm and definitely dry. There were no waves in this room and the water in his glass could not hurt him. Sip by sip he drank it, following the instructions given. At first it did not go down easy—it reminded him of swallowing water when he had gone under—but he finished the entire glass.

Only after a few minutes did he also realize he was hungry. How much time had passed between their two worlds? How did time travelers sustain themselves between missions? He had so many questions for so many people, he hoped he could keep them all together for an opportunity to ask.

What seemed to him like just about five minutes, passed and the Doctor arrived, Nicky behind him. She looked pale, worried, and sick. However, when she saw Jared, her eyes lit up.

“Jared!” She broke away from the Doctor’s side and rushed toward him, stumbling only a little. Minding his arm, she hugged him tightly, kissing his cheek and whispering a small prayer of thanks. Her long black hair was matted in terrible knots, and her beautiful face was bruised. He must look the same way because she immediately asked him if they had hurt him.

“No,” he answered in a whisper, glancing over at the Doctor, who stood a distance away. “I’m fine. Are you?”

Her eyes hardened and gone was the light there. “Don’t worry yourself about that.”

From the door came a cough. The Doctor stepped forward, looking almost shy. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but I do need to start treatment. The sooner the better since it’s just me.” The door was opened once more and a small silver cart was wheeled in by him, filled with medical supplies. “I’d like to see Jared first, that arm has me worried.”

“I told you,” Nicky hissed, sitting beside Jared, facing the Doctor, “I cannot consent to treatment without my Master’s approval. The same goes for Jared.”

When they were not speaking, the room was unnervingly quiet. Even though it was ridiculous at the moment, considering everything, Jared wished for the cheerful strums of Jensen’s guitar. He had been working on a tune for some time, adjusting notes here and there, playing it for Jared on the porch. Rapidly, his fingers plucked at the strings, producing happy sounds and an upbeat melody that usually had Jared tapping his feet along to. His heart ached.

He wondered how far into the forest Jensen’s playing had been heard.

A cart was brought to the bedside and Jared froze.

This Doctor was not known to them. They did not know anything of his practices or experience. In turn he did not know them or their experiences.

“So far as I have known the both of you, I have only spoken the truth,” the Doctor said, unpacking a roll of bandages. “Isn’t that right, Jared? I said you would be together, now here you are. I said I would not harm you and you have not been harmed. I said I would not perform any treatment until I had your express permission and now I am asking for it.”

Nicky looked at Jared, desperation in her eyes. “Is this true?”

“It is,” he answered and sat up a little. He looked at the Doctor. “Why do I need treatment before I see my Master?”

The Doctor took one of the two chairs by the small table and dragged it over to the bedside. He sat down and did not seem too impatient to begin. “I don’t need to do a whole lot right now, just the basics.” Cautiously, he motioned towards Jared’s arm and continued, “That needs to be set, or at the very least placed in a sling. And the wound on your leg, I need to put stitches in and change the bandage there. Your ribs are probably also bruised, so I’ll need to bandage your chest and middle. That’s it for now, beyond disinfecting and bandaging up any other cuts on you. Most of it all is just bandages until later.”

These procedures didn’t seem too complicated to Jared but he remained wary. He felt so tired, he really only wanted to sleep. When his stomach growled, he winced and felt himself blush from embarrassment.

“Are you hungry?” the Doctor asked, his eyes lighting up. “Shit, I’m so sorry. You both must be hungry. Okay, I’ll leave you two to talk this out while I get something. Do you eat meat? Would sandwiches and soup be alright? Are you allergic to anything?”

The older breeder answered those questions—yes they ate meat, sandwiches and soup sounded fine, and they were not allergic to any foods they knew about—and the Doctor left, the door swishing behind him. Right away, Nicky began looking Jared over, touching all of his bruises, caressing his face. Her purrs were soft and muffled but still there. “I would kiss you,” she whispered, her familiar hands running through his hair, working the knots out, “but I’m sick.”

“Sick with what?” Jared asked, unable to purr. He figured it was a result of the shock or something. It bothered him but there were more important things.

“He called it something like… bron… I don’t know. He said it was something worse than a cold and I would need medicine. Jared, I don’t know if I trust him. We should wait until Jensen can see us. Did he explain to you why we are being separated?” Her eyes brightened when he reached out and touched the bruises on her face. Breeders needed touch.

“I guess they think we are being mistreated by our Masters, though they have strange language here. I tried to tell him that our Masters would never hurt us, but the leader is meeting with them now,” he explained as best he could. His eyes were starting to close, though his hunger was insistent. “Nicky, if it gets me to my Master, I don’t mind him bandaging me.”

She settled in beside him, also exhausted, coughing slightly. “Alright, Jared.”

When the Doctor returned, he came back with trays filled with delicious looking food. Before they began to eat, Nicky looked through it, searching for any food that was unfamiliar and for hidden pills. She passed over a roast beef sandwich to Jared, whose mouth was watering already. The Doctor explained the contents of the sandwich and the tomato soup with it, and reminded both breeders to eat slowly. Between them they finished three sandwiches, three bowls of soup, and two chocolate cookies. When Jared was done and drinking another glass of water, he allowed the Doctor to wrap his arm in a bandage and sling. His hands were very careful but efficient. When the younger breeder began to feel pain, he tried to hide it, but the Doctor saw through it. Offering him a pill, Jared did not want to take it. So the Doctor took one himself, explaining that it was a very mild pain medicine, safe enough for children.

The Doctor gave Jared a little more water and handed him one brown, rounded pill. “I’d like to give you something stronger but I’m hesitant because I’m not sure how alike your systems are to our omegas. Are either of you expecting a child?”

“No,” Jared replied quietly, avoiding any eye contact. Nicky did the same.

An identical pill was given to Nicky, as it was said it would help her fever until she decided about further treatment. It took the Doctor an hour to attend to both of them and Jared managed to stay awake for all of it. His ribs were bruised, possibly fractured and that explained the pain he felt when breathing. The wound on his leg was healing better but it was surrounded by bruises, which made it hurt more. Although Jared wanted to see what his face looked like, the tenderness and swelling he felt there told him he was better off not knowing.

There were so many things still not right but Jared could not stay awake any longer. The Doctor had a very soothing presence and even though he had many sharp tools at his disposal, he had not used any. Perhaps they were as safe as they could possibly be at the moment.

It was announced that the Doctor would let them sleep for an hour or two, depending on how long the talks between the leader and their Masters would take. In any case, he stressed that it was important for them to rest as much as they could, with baths later. He placed the leftover food on the table near them, covering the trays, and pouring two glasses of fresh water.

And before he left, he covered them both in extra blankets.

It wasn’t bad, Jared decided, breathing in deep. He felt Nicky against him, almost like it was a bed they had shared before.

She hummed calmly, almost to the exact tune Jared could still hear in his mind. 


	8. Meetings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jensen, Misha, and Jeff are placed in confinement where the Alpha meets with them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> no specific warning for this chapter. just moving on along. :) 
> 
> thank you so much everyone for reading and for all your lovely comments. today's group of wonderful comments gave me the motivation to write 2k more. <3

Jensen:

To say that Jensen was upset was a severe understatement.

Though he had to give Misha credit—even in pain and in new surroundings, he still managed to stay calm. As they were being escorted to who the fuck knew, Misha heard his name shouted once. It was faint and barely audible over the sound of rain and the lake in chaos, but it was there. When Jensen demanded to know who had been found, it did at least provide some relief when the answer came back that two individuals had been pulled from the lake, safe but injured.

An hour later, locked into a room that was no bigger than a shed, Jeff turned up.

He too was locked in with them.

“How the hell… what the fuck happened? What did you do to my brother?!”

“What… what did _I_ do?!” Jensen shouted, standing up and getting chest to chest with Jeff. “You think I would risk everything and _let_ this happen? Where is he? Why can’t we see them? It was your job to make nice with the locals—you said you could handle it!”

They hadn’t yet figured out the way time worked in this new world versus the one they had fled. He had spent two days in this world, trying to explain their situation, before Jensen felt something in his gut that he had to return. It was decided that Jeff would remain behind, to speak with the Alpha and the rest of the pride with the goal of securing them shelter. Things had seemed somewhat peaceful—good enough that Jensen wasn’t afraid they would overpower Jeff while he was gone—but now they were being treated like prisoners. Could he have been wrong about this entire place during their observational period? They had observed from the shadows for one week, making sure that this world would not turn out to be another nightmare. At the time there had been no cells, no locks, no terrible black gloves...

But here they were, sealed in. Guards were posted outside.

He didn’t even know what kind of injuries Nicky and Jared had suffered or how lost they felt. Both had trusted their lot in guiding them to safety and yet Jensen was confined to a garage. No one had come this far to have this happen.

“Captain please,” Misha sighed from his place on the floor, his ankle propped up on a toolbox. “I am more concerned about your temper than our confinement.”

Jeff snorted at Misha's announcement and moved past Jensen, half an inch from shoving into him. He sat next to Misha; Jeff looked alright, no serious injuries or bruises, so obviously he had fared well in his time here. “I’ve heard just about as much as you have, I was waiting at the site you were supposed to land in. I thought I might wait there earlier, just in case, but y’all arrived two hours ahead of schedule and a mile away! Who was in front?”

“I was,” Misha murmured. Jensen sat down across from them and nudged Misha’s thigh with the tip of his boot.

“You look awful.”

“Thank you for that,” Misha grumbled and continued. “I had a steady hold of everything until about halfway through. I… I held onto her hand until the portal opened. When this world became visible, I completely lost hold on her and our direction. That’s all I remember until I hit the ground.”

The method of their landing disturbed them all. Jeff took a moment to think over a few more details that they mentioned and shook his head. “No, no that’s all wrong. Even a beginner wouldn’t have managed all of that turbulence.”

“So if you know this why the fuck are we in here?” Jensen hissed, shoulders bristling. “Didn’t you hear anything else? Where they’re being held?”

“All I heard was that one was injured and the other was sick. If I knew more I would say so. I did hear the Doctor being called for. You remember Dustin? So I imagine that wherever they are, they’re at least being seen to. I hope.” Jeff paused to rummage through his pack. He pulled out a small paper package of pills. Ripping it open, he popped out three and handed them over to Misha. “They’re the equivalent of we would use back home. I've tested them myself. You can take it for now; dunno if it’ll do much.”

Swallowing them dry, Misha leaned against a stack of tires and mumbled a thank you, closing his eyes. Jensen began to feel his own exhaustion, which was out of place for their travel. He decided to blame it on the anxiety of waiting in a closed space. All he could think about was getting to Jared and taking care of whatever had happened since their separation. He tried not to think of him being touched and prodded at by someone they didn’t know; he tried even more to believe that his first impression of Dustin had been correct.

When the garage door was opened some twenty minutes later, all three of them sat up at once. Three people walked in, the Alpha in front. Jensen had been trying to see things from the Alpha’s perspective but he could not understand the reason for being separated, especially when he had declared Jared as his mate to this Alpha.

Dressed in dark jeans and a white shirt, with high heeled, steel-toed boots, the Alpha didn’t seem threatening until one got closer to him. He stood at Jensen’s height with those heels. Power gravitated around him but it seemed controlled. Sharp eyes darted from Jeff to Jensen to Misha and back to Jeff. Around his own people he didn’t seem cruel—if he had they would have moved onto another world—but now, the disdain in his eyes was clear.

“Alpha,” Jeff started.

“Silence can only help you,” the Alpha snapped. “I don’t usually conduct meetings in our garage but I have no particular care for mates that abuse their omegas. It seems like you’ve conveniently left out a few details from your original story, so I want it now. I won’t be allowing admittance to those omegas until I get everything.”

“That isn’t fair, we have done nothing wrong!” Jensen snapped back, getting to his feet.

“The one you claim to be your mate has a broken arm and multiple injuries, some of them internal. What mate would allow such harm to their omega?” the Alpha growled, taking a step forward towards Jensen. “Their manner of being—they cannot consent to medical help without your permission—suggests that they are not your mates but rather, your slaves.” The last word was spat out with hatred. “I believe that you fled but I do not believe you fled for their sake's, rather, for your own selfish ends. So either you assuage my concerns or remain here like the deplorable creatures you seem to be.”

Before Jensen could retort, a hand appeared on his arm. Jeff pulled himself up, standing at his full height, which had always been formidable. Except he was using it on Jensen, not the Alpha. “Jensen, if your mouth gets in the way of me seeing my brother, I’ll fucking sock one to you. Shut up and sit down.”

“Don’t touch me, Jeff!” Jensen grumbled, swatting Jeff’s hand off of him, and then turned back to the Alpha, who seemed amused at the fraction in their party. “Look, I’m upset right now. I need to see Jared. You have no idea… none at all about what we have all been through and I can’t explain it until I’m sure he’s okay. Please understand that. I can’t think about anything at all unless I know he’s not suffering.”

A flicker of something Jensen couldn’t translate appeared in the Alpha’s eyes. Orders were quickly issued to one of the people behind him in a language Jensen hadn’t heard before, and they both left immediately after, shutting the garage door behind them. The Alpha paced for half a minute, hands behind his back. Misha shifted his ankle and took a sharp inhale of breath from the pain.

“You don’t have any right to ask me for anything, not even for my understanding,” the Alpha said, pausing and standing still for a moment, not looking at anyone. “You are strangers in _our_ territory and you forget that.”

Softly, Misha managed to ask a question, “How do you know they’re omegas?”

The Alpha snorted and shook his head. “That is surely a base question. Omegas have a different scent, even when human. They’re the only ones who carry life. Abuse of an omega is punishable by death. There is no higher crime—I would have all my betas kill each other before harming an omega. It is obvious that these omegas have not lived with the same values.”

“They don’t come from a world where they are valued,” Jeff spoke up. “That’s why we chose this one. As I have explained, Alpha, the three of us here before you are from a different world entirely separate and different from their origin. They are not our slaves and they come her eon their own free will. Jared is my brother and Nicky is a trusted friend. In our time together there have been many misunderstandings but we brought them here for their safety. I have tried explaining their world but I... even I wouldn't believe it unless I saw it.”

“I don’t know if this is an elaborate cover up for your behavior or something else,” the Alpha warned. “Our lake is thirty-five feet deep and they landed in the middle of it, while the two of you,” he said and motioned to Jensen and Misha, “landed remarkably safe on land.”

The news of where the breeders landed was entirely new to them. It stunned them all, caused Jensen to see red for a moment. He couldn’t believe it—he didn’t want to think about Jared in the water. Trying his best not to shout or do anything rash, Jensen clenched his fists and took in a deep breath before replying. “We don’t know what happened with our landing. It’s never happened like that before and obviously we made it here the first time without injury. Please, I need to see him. The trauma he’s been through before…”

“No.”

“He needs me!”

“Not at the moment, he doesn’t,” the Alpha muttered. “My mate informed me they’re recovering. They’ve been placed in a room together, fed and given basic care. Both are sleeping, so no, right now they’re just fine without you.”

There was a moment of tense silence throughout the garage. Jensen hung his head, covering his face with his hands. He had promised to bring Jared into a world where he would never be hurt again—where his experiences would never be repeated.

It was Misha who spoke up first. “I obviously know very little about your way of life and I do not wish to make inaccurate assumptions,” he said, masking his pain well. “However, Alpha, I assure you that our methods of time travel are secure. The way we took was the safest. It should have been like going into one room from another, all together. There was interference from an outside source.”

“Could it be from the government you were escaping?” the Alpha asked sharply.

“I don’t believe so,” Misha replied. “Their technology—though advanced in some ways—was very limited. Most of their resources were poured into the complete control of breeders, uh, omegas. They had no concept of other worlds outside their own, or the means to travel to any if they existed.”

“You promised me there was no possibility you would be pursued, which is why I allowed you safe harbor here at all. Are you entirely sure you closed the way you came?”

“Oh, yes, absolutely sure. I… I have the data in my bag. I can show you the precise calculations of our travel. It’s… it’s not possible for them to follow unless they know these. Even if they did, they can’t replicate our… our methods or coordinates. We also had the doorway sealed. And… someone to close it from their end.”

The mention of Eli created another moment of silence amongst them.

This time, the Alpha broke it. “Alphas never think of themselves first. They always think of their pride. Every member of this pride comes before the Alpha themselves—from the oldest cat to the youngest cub. So I will say this only once more: if at any point in time, your presence here jeopardizes my people, you will be removed immediately.” He started walking over to the garage doors, heels clacking on the cement. “I am going to speak with the omegas and arrange a joint meeting but I will not let them house with you until I am certain of the things we have spoken of.” 

In one swift motion, he lifted open the garage door and prepared to shut them in again.

Someone young ran up to the Alpha, breathless, and whispered in his ear. Jensen strained to catch a scrap of it. The Alpha demanded the youth to make certain what he said was true. The youth nodded and the Alpha bristled; the look on his face shifted from set to calculating. Jensen recognized that look. Decisions were being made on the fly and pros and cons were being weighed. Leaders had to do that. 

With a sigh, the Alpha let go of the door and told the youth to return to the center of the Pride. 

“Their conditions have worsened,” the Alpha snapped. "Come on, stop standing there. Move." 

Jensen could not move fast enough.


	9. Rounds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jared's arm takes a turn for the worse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> super fast update! i will edit a few things later on. <3
> 
> thank you for reading!

His dreams were anything but peaceful. The image of Jensen’s broken, bleeding face haunted every moment of his sleep. No matter how the vision started, Jared always ran into that invisible precipice in space. The creature was gone but he was not sure if her absence was better or worse.

Horrified, the young breeder desperately tried to wake up. The black blood dripping from Jensen’s smashed features seemed to boil; his entire face distorted and warped. His handsome face was shattered, totally unrecognizable as it was, but Jared had no doubt it was him. Most times Jensen was silent. Sometimes a moan of grief escaped, echoing loudly through space, reverberating deep inside Jared’s chest. Much like the sound Cody made in the garden, it was one Jared never wanted to experience again.

In a fit, he woke up, his left arm throbbing with pain. He was producing a river of swear, but he felt cold.

Nicky was asleep still, which was remarkable and worrisome since she had always been the lighter sleeper between the two of them. She looked worse. Her skin had turned pale and tinged a sour yellow. Both of them were shivering under the extra blankets the Doctor had provided. Jared tried breathing in deep to calm himself but his middle hurt and he was wheezing again. His two attempts to move were met with an intense dizziness; his eyes refused to focus and his body would not move correctly. Why were they not healing? They had been properly taken care of and fed before their flight from the household. The Judge had seen to their every care. Beside him, Nicky coughed; it was a deep, rattling cough Jared had heard a few breeders have in the kennels. Those were often breeders that were on their last legs, ones that had very little chance of selling or being taken to a farm.

Was that what was happening to them now? Had the Doctor temporarily soothed and then drugged them so that they could be taken to secret rooms?

It had to be his anxiety that caused his heart to beat so fast. Blood throbbed in his ears.

The older breeder did not wake up until there was the sound of the door swishing open. Instead of the Doctor returning, it was the leader, whom Jared had to remember to call Alpha. He seemed to be a Master that liked following the rules and it would do the young breeder no favors to call him a disrespectful title, even in his head. Somehow this seemed important to him at the moment, although he could barely move without pain. The Alpha moved in the same confident, hypnotic elegance as always.

“I was going to speak with both of you about your circumstances and explain more about where you have found yourselves,” the Alpha said, speaking clearly, though a little sharply. “And ask you about the true nature of your companions, however, I see that now is not the time. You both look worse. Has Dee seen you?”

“Not since we fell asleep,” Nicky murmured, sitting up with a wince and a cough. “He ordered us to sleep, we were only following commands.”

“And I am glad that you did,” the Alpha sighed and pulled up a chair next to Jared. Unlike the Doctor, Jared didn’t get a sense of peace from this Master. Something about him set him on edge, like he should be sitting up straighter or doing something productive. “I’m going to reach out and touch your forehead, omega, and that is all I am going to do. Do you understand?” It took a moment for Jared to realize that the Alpha was speaking to him and he nodded quickly, feeling dizzy. He expected to be slapped at some point but it didn’t happen; the Alpha’s hand was cool and soft and seemingly experienced at checking someone’s temperature.

“I know the look on your face,” the Alpha murmured, taking his hand away. “Three, two…”

He wanted to ask what look—what look was he making?—but there wasn’t any chance to. Jared began throwing up.

He tried to throw up somewhere convenient but he could barely move. Most of it landed on the bed and when he managed to lean forward, some of it got on the Alpha’s trousers and fancy boots. White hot pain radiated from his broken arm, searing and spiking into his lungs so that breathing was difficult. Every bit of delicious food he had been so generously given was forced up in painful heaves, until he was throwing up water and blood, crying in embarrassment, trying to beg for forgiveness. He would wash it all, he tried to promise this but words wouldn’t work.

“Don’t worry,” the Alpha said, voice elevated and firm. “Calm down. Look at me.”

Of course even in this pathetic state, Jared could follow a command. His stomach turned again but he held his nausea back. He could feel Nicky trembling in fear beside him, ready to block any blow—what would be the consequences to this?

His eyes met the Alpha’s. Why was he so calm? Why wasn’t he screaming or getting up and wiping off the mess and making Jared clean it up?

“I have two children,” the Alpha stated simply. “Getting thrown up on is the least of my worries. That’s a good day for me. Now, calm down. Are you going to throw up again?” There was steady truth in the Alpha’s voice that had Jared believe he was not lying or attempting to make Jared feel better under false sincerity. Jared nodded because he felt his stomach roll; the Alpha nodded back. He telegraphed his movements like the Doctor and efficiently stripped the bed of the soiled blankets and then spoke to Nicky. “C’mon, off the bed. Hold the trash bin for him while I get Dee.”

“I’m not leaving him,” Nicky said firmly, wobbling and swaying but following through with her instructions. Jared hiccupped and mewled; she ran a hand through his hair and cleaned up his face with a corner of the sheet.

The Alpha softened his tone as much as possible before leaving. “I wasn’t asking you to. Just make sure he doesn’t choke.” He was gone with the swish of the door and just as it closed Jared warned Nicky with a tug on her paper shirt. She nodded and pat his back as he heaved over and over again until he was spitting out nothing but filmy water and blood. Exhausted and his throat on fire, Jared could no longer sit up. The older breeder saw this and rolled him onto his side so he was facing the edge of the bed, the bin in front of him. His arm was extended out so that he would not lay on it but it hurt all the same. He could barely make out what Nicky was saying, though he was sure it was something meant to soothe him.

The swish of the door sounded once more and Jared expected to see the Alpha and the Doctor, which he did, but there were two others with them.

“Jared!” Both Jeff and Jensen said at the sight of him. Before they rushed forward, the Alpha stopped them with a firm hand and a threatening look.

“Now is not the time to get reacquainted. Treat him like a patient. Dee, what’s the status?” the Alpha spoke in sharper tones once more as the Doctor knelt by Jared, gently siding up beside Nicky, thanking her quickly and putting his hands on Jared’s chest with a steel circle.

“He’s going into septic shock. See how gray he is? His blood pressure is probably dropping. I need him wheeled into the operating room,” the Doctor announced, his tone completely different from before—commanding and authoritative.

“Wait,” Jensen called out, stepping forward. “Operating table? What are you planning on doing?”

Although he was in a great deal of pain and the room was lopsided, Jared saw the look exchanged between the Doctor and the Alpha. He also heard what was said after the look, in response to Jensen’s question. “Amputation. His arm is infected, it’s traveled through his blood. It’ll become gangrene soon enough. Minutes are precious here,” the Doctor reported.

There was a scuffle and the shouting of voices but Jared couldn’t tell the details of that. His eyesight was getting increasingly fuzzy. He was incredibly thankful he had stopped vomiting.

“I have something… I have something that will heal him. Just… please, please let me use it,” Jensen begged. “You need to stabilize him, hook him up to an IV, and start flushing.”

“I know what that means,” the Doctor snipped and looked towards the Alpha. “It’s either his treatment or the omega loses his arm. It’s seconds away from becoming an open fracture, see the cut on his arm? Bone will be poking through it soon.”

Even though Jared couldn’t see very well, he knew the Alpha’s silence meant he was thinking, calculating and weight out possibilities. Finally, half a minute later, he asked, “You sure he’s got to lose the arm, Dee?”

“There is very little I can do at this stage to heal the bone. It won’t heal properly if I clean and set it. The extent of this fracture and infection… it’ll just keep coming back and I don’t know how effective antibiotics would be.” The Doctor stepped aside, allowing the Alpha to kneel at Jared’s bedside.

Those same sharp eyes met the young breeder’s again. “Omega, I want you to make the decision. Do you want our treatment or your companions? Keep in mind that both may have severe consequences.” It seemed like everyone expected him to fight over the decision in his head, to delay and be unsure, to ask someone about what he should do. But he didn’t.

“Jensen,” was all he managed to say.

After that, everyone bolted and Jared was lifted up, placed on a moveable bed, and wheeled out.

Jeff held onto his good hand the entire time.

 

 

This is the way it was explained to Jared, twelve hours later.

Master Jeff had been a bone specialist in his original home. He had studied for many years at prestigious medical academies; his concentration had been in legs and feet, which was why he had been able to attend to Jared’s broken leg with such expertise. He was less experienced in arms but even he could recognize that the Doctor had been correct—Jared’s arm was too far gone to be saved.

It was decided that they would honor the young breeder’s wishes and go with Jensen’s plan. However, the Alpha warned him that the first sign it would not work he would be arrested and the breeder—omega—would lose the arm.

Once the Doctor and Master Jeff had Jared stabilized with pain medicine, oxygen, and something to put him under, his arm was flushed and disinfected again. Once they were confident that they had cleaned Jared’s arm as best they could with the tools available, Jensen brought in the MedLight and it was put to work. It was explained to Nicky and the Alpha as a healing light. The machine was the size of a watermelon and it made a low buzzing sound as it worked, whirring when it got to Jared’s arm. White and blue light radiated from it, glowing as Jensen held it steady. He would not explain the exact technology that it used or what it was made of, but Nicky saw him worry when the first round barely had any effect.

The Alpha was about to step in when the second round proved to elevate the young breeder’s blood pressure and remove the gray color in his skin.

In the end, it took ten rounds for Jared’s arm to heal.

As a precaution, they placed it in a cast the Doctor had on hand. The antibiotics seemed to be having no ill-effect on Jared, so they continued the dose and kept him under.

Jared groaned and wiggled his fingers in his left arm. To think he had nearly lost them.

Nicky shared a bed with him once again, but they were in an entirely different room. This one was simply decorated but it looked and smelled less like a hospital. She kissed his cheek; he saw that she too looked much better.

“Took two rounds on me but… well, I’m very grateful,” she murmured softly, drawing circles on Jensen’s good arm. “Is there anything you need, Jared? I have a tray over here. I’m afraid you can only eat soup now, but I had some earlier and it’s very good. Little heavy on the salt but it’s tasty.”

When he was able to finally get his voice working, he asked, “Where is my Master?”

The older breeder settled in against him, covering him up to his chin with thick blankets. She purred loudly against him, which somewhat relaxed him, caused his eyes to flutter in drowsiness. Her unique purr was familiar to him—a sound he didn’t want to forget.

“We’ll see them later, Jared. For now you have been ordered to rest.”

“But where are we?” he asked with a yawn. The pillows underneath him were soft and he was dressed in something similar to a robe.

She slipped her hand into his good one and squeezed before she replied.

“The Alpha’s home.”


	10. Kitten

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jared wakes up beside Jensen, believing he is dreaming.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> shorter update, hoping to make it to 20k by tonight. 
> 
> thank you for reading and thank you for all your kind comments and cheering on! <3
> 
> y'all are the best. more later!

Dreams were blessedly vacant.

Jared couldn’t remember what he used to dream about at old Master’s household or even in the academy. He thought of this as a good thing. No dreams were better than nightmares.

Although when he opened his eyes, he thought he was dreaming.

Jensen was there.

His Master was asleep, which made him look younger and peaceful. He was laid on his side, on Jared’s good side, where Nicky had been before. One arm was slung over Jared’s waist, while the other was under a pillow. The young breeder smiled and sighed, settling in, hoping that this new dream would last a while longer. He curved himself into Jensen, slotting them together, minding his cast. When he thought it might be nice to have Jensen play with his hair, it happened. Gentle fingers carded through, mindful of the knots, scratching right behind the breeder’s ear.

He wanted to purr but no sound came. When he tried to do it nothing happened either. But what breeder ever needed to _try_ to purr? Willing himself to purr various times resulted in nothing.

Except that Jensen woke up.

“What’s wrong?” he asked immediately, his eyes searching Jared’s. “Are you okay?”

Figuring that this was still his dream, Jared replied much too honestly. “I can’t purr.”

Sitting up, Jensen yawned and scratched his head, stretched and turned back to Jared. “Sweetheart, I’m sure it’ll come back. Just give it time.”

Lying back down, Jensen kept a hand on Jared’s face, gently touching all over, tracing the breeder’s nose, lips, and jaw line. Slow, lazy circles were drawn until Jared reached up with his good hand and pressed Jensen’s hand flat against his face so he could nose into it. At any moment he expected to wake up, though a few quick glances proved that he was in the Alpha’s guest room. Strange that his dreams would take place there but he chose not to question it.

“Ask me for anything,” Jensen whispered, their noses bumping together. “Anything at all, it’s yours.”

Closing his eyes and opening them again, delighted to see Jensen remaining there, Jared smiled. “All I want is here. I need nothing else.”

There was light back in Jensen’s eyes, the crinkles at the edges framing them, proof of a happy Master. A breeder’s duty was to ensure their Master’s satisfaction in all ways of life. Whatever he had to be for this to happen, it was his privilege and honor, especially for such a Master, one that cared about his well-being as much as his own. He tried not to think about what might have happened had Jensen decided he was not the same Jared or that the mission was not worth the risk. Where might he be now, instead of this bed in this Master’s arms?

He tightened his hold on Jensen, wrapping his arms around him, clinging and silently crying.

Why, if he was so happy, could he not stop thinking about the times when he had been chained to the post in the back, heavy with a litter, crying out with all the loneliness of the world inside his chest? And why, if he was so safe, could he not suppress the feeling of dread in his belly, the hollowed out sensation in the tender part of it, the haunting and terrible absence of a certain weight?

“Sweetheart, you need to rest,” Jensen murmured, placing small kisses near his eyes.

“I am resting, I’m asleep,” Jared muttered, hiding his face in Jensen’s chest. “Don’t make me wake up, please. I’ll be good when I’m awake.”

“You’re not sleeping, Jared. Why would you think that?”

The young breeder’s eyes opened wide. He pulled himself away from Jensen and sat up. “I am! You’re here, the Alpha said I couldn’t see you!”

Jensen remained laying down, flat on his back. He frowned and closed his eyes to speak. “I told him everything." A heavy sigh was given. "Seemed to make a good story at least.” Green eyes opened once more, though Jensen seemed bothered. “I can’t spend the night with you but I’m here for now, I promise.”

There was a moment of silence between them. Jared turned and placed his feet on the floor. The room was smaller than the one he had had at their household but it was warm and comfortable. Rugs decorated the wooden floor; for a brief moment Jared wondered if he could learn how to make one. The enormity of what they had to do—find a household, settle in—overwhelmed him and made him dizzy.

Just as he was about to turn back to his Master and beg forgiveness for his bold comments and questions, the door opened. He expected the Alpha or the Doctor but it wasn’t a person at all. A cat tumbled into the room and made for Jared’s feet. The young breeder flinched but saw that the kitten wanted to rub against him, and was not using its claws. Within a minute, Jared was bending down, petting the ball of fur and energy.

“Hey,” Jensen murmured, rolling over, wrapping an arm around Jared’s waist, looking down at the kitten. “Guess you got loose.”

The kitten was larger than Jared remembered kittens being, but it was clear to him that it was young. It kept stumbling over its paws to get to Jared’s hand for optimal scratching. Its coat was shiny and thick, a golden tan color. When it flopped over for Jared to rub its belly, he saw that it had light brown spots there. Loudly it purred and Jared wished to purr along with it.

A knock at the door was heard before it swung open. This time it was the Alpha.

“Pardon my intrusion,” he said and took a few steps toward the kitten. “Seems that some members of this household can’t comprehend basic orders.”

For a moment Jared thought the Alpha was referring to him or Jensen.

The kitten is scooped up by his scruff, meowing twice in protest.

“He ain’t bothering,” Jensen said with a small yawn. “Jay took a liking to him already.” The kitten is held to the Alpha’s chest, even though it squirms and bats at a few curls in his hair.

“Well I’m glad. He didn’t bite you, did he?” the Alpha asked Jared.

The breeder hesitated and looked at the floor. “No…”

It was a surprise when the Alpha laughed. “Okay, you’re a terrible liar. It’s alright. I don’t see blood on your hands so I won’t punish him too much. Just a time out, isn’t that right?” The kitten meowed at a higher pitch but started purring when the Alpha pet under his small chin. A moment later, the kitten was gently deposited into Jared’s lap. “You two seem to get along so I’ll let this one slide. Suya, mind your claws and don’t you dare bite our guests. He might nibble but he’s teething. Just grab his scruff if it’s a problem. Is this okay?”

Right away, Jared moved the kitten to his chest, tears in his eyes from happiness and a tinge of grief. Unaware and blissfully happy, the kitten settled and nuzzed Jared’s chin and licked his fingers.

“This is fine,” Jensen answered for the breeder. “Thank you.”

The Alpha stood back for a moment and watched Jared and the kitten. He sighed and shook his head. “Always has to be the center of attention, that one. Alright, I’ll be back in an hour for lunch. You two have fun babysitting. You’re lucky it’s nap time.”

On cue, the kitten yawned. Rows of tiny but sharp teeth were shown. It started licking Jared’s fingers again, purring and curled up until its amber eyes closed and its breathing steadied. Jared hardly realized it when the Alpha left. Carefully, he laid down beside Jensen, who made room in the bed.

“Is this their pet?” Jared asked in a hushed tone, hoping not to wake the kitten.

Jensen reached out and pat the kitten once, then drew the covers up over them once more. They settled in, Jensen’s hand on Jared’s belly.

A kiss was given on Jared’s mouth, which he was too happy to receive.

Quietly, Jensen replied, “No, sweetheart. That’s the Alpha’s youngest son.”


	11. Invitations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jared spends time with the kitten in his charge; he is invited to dinner and for a tour.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm soooo behind on this NaNo. Augh. 
> 
> So I've heard from a few folks that the tone of this fic is different from It Takes. Yes... that's true. This is less dark fic and more sci-fi/fantasy. There are references to dark fic, which can and will be graphic. There are also quite a few mysteries in this fic--like why they landed badly, where Jared's ring is, and why their shadows are flickering--but it's not going to be like It Takes. 
> 
> It's taken me a while to adjust to this new tone, to something less dark and filled with torture, but I'm enjoying it. If you're looking for that, there will be a few scenes like that but that's not the overall fic. I guess what I'm trying to say is that this fic is about settling, healing, and finding out new identities. Not to say that everything is awesome and sunshine, but still. 
> 
> Anyway! No specific warnings for this chapter, just moving along. :D 
> 
> Thank you so much for reading and for your comments! Comments keep me motivated and I certainly need it! <3

The only one who remained awake was Jared. Both Jensen and the kitten snored, though Jensen’s was louder. For most of the time, Jared kept watch on the kitten, making sure its breathing was steady and constant, watching for any signs of distress. He had to keep reminding himself that the kitten was not an “it” but an actual, if a bit tiny, person. Before knocking out, Jensen explained a few things but not enough to answer all of the young breeder’s questions.

In this world, kittens and babies were one in the same. They were born human and later learned to switch to cat form, though the process was natural. Shifting did not hurt or cause them harm; this one seemed to prefer his cat form most of the time. When Jared asked if the kitten was a Master or a breeder, Jensen briefly said that they were not subject to that form of categorization. The kitten was male, which was its primary identity, and thought to be a beta, which was the equivalent to a Master but not the same. There were so many other things to ask, to figure out, but Jensen had fallen asleep before Jared had a chance at asking more questions.

For the time being, Jared remained occupied petting the kitten, amused when it huffed in its sleep if his hand was taken away for more than two seconds.

When an hour had passed there was a soft knock on the door. It was the Alpha once more, this time with a larger cat underneath his arm, covered in mud. “I have a situation here with this one,” the Alpha grumbled, looking displeased at the cat. “Do you mind feeding him? He needs to wake up now or he won’t sleep tonight. It’s very easy. You can’t mess it up.” That last part helped sooth Jared’s fears of doing something wrong and harming the kitten. There had been stray cats in Meridian that he had often stopped to pet or share pieces of his food with on trips to the market, but he had never had his own to look after. He realized, as he waited for the Doctor to arrive with the supplies, that this was an immense act of trust for the Alpha to leave the care of his son up to Jared. Breeders were naturally inclined to take care of pups and children, but there were some that did not do an adequate job. Although stories of breeders causing harm to their litters or children through negligence were rare, they had circulated in the academy no less. If one could not service a Master properly, then all a breeder had to hope for to keep their place in a household was to excel at child care.

The Alpha left and a minute later the Doctor appeared. Jensen curled up and tugged the blankets closer to him in his sleep. Jared carefully eased himself off the bed, holding the kitten with both hands. The movement, as he thought it would, caused the little one to wake up. He was sure to keep one hand on the kitten’s head, petting its ears, which instantly took away the grumpiness from a sleep disturbed. 

“Hey,” the Doctor said cheerfully, voice lowered to mind Jensen. This time the Doctor was not formally dressed; he wore denim and a plain blue shirt. He was also barefoot, which called Jared’s attention. Masters usually wore their boots around their households. Another question entered his mind as he watched the Doctor set up a few things: who was the Master and who was the breeder? The Alpha was the leader of more than their relationship, so did that make him Master? But the Doctor obviously had a title, which no breeder ever could. There were some Masters who had secret relationships with each other, but those were illegal, their unions could never produce pups or children. It was, in the end, none of his business and he snapped to attention when the Doctor began to speak.

“Now, we just weaned him off milk, so he’s starting solids. He’s a bit fussy but he skipped breakfast this morning so he should finish this portion. All you need to do is make sure he doesn’t eat too fast, stop him if he does. I cut up the venison so he won’t have trouble chewing. And, I think that’s it. Any questions?” These things were explained slowly, so Jared could take it all in. The kitten began to wiggle in his arms so he let him down. Distracted only once, the kitten made its way to the ceramic bowl of food and water placed on the floor. The Doctor knelt down and pet it, then stood up. “I’ve got to go help Ilia with our oldest before they both snap, so if you’re alright, I’ll leave you to it. Oh, dinner for us is in an hour. Oay, Jared?”

“Yes sir,” Jared replied with a nod. He sat down next to the kitten, excited to watch him. “Thank you.”

“Oh, thank you, it’s nice to have a break. He’s just over six months old and well, he takes a lot of energy to say the least. You’re doing us a huge favor. And you can call me Dee.”

“Thank you Dee,” Jared said with a smile. It was difficult for Jared to internally call anyone by their first name without a proper honorific, but no one had to know that. The Doctor left, shutting the door on his way out, and Jared resumed watching the kitten. He was a playful, energetic little one. At first he devoured the portion of raw meat in front of him, which Jared wondered if it tasted good to him. It had to, since half was gone, but he was distracted by Jared’s hand. In his eagerness, the kitten fumbled over its paws but made it to Jared safely. The young breeder couldn’t help a small laugh when the kitten knocked its head against his hand, with very little regard to how hard or if it might hurt.

“Okay, yes, all the affection for you,” Jared cooed. He lay down on his stomach so he could be eye level with his responsibility. As he provided ample scratches and rubs, he noted that the spots on the little one’s belly were fading and his coat was beginning to shed. His paws were somewhat rough, which the breeder took as meaning he was just starting to go outside. The markings on the rest of his coat were interesting, with streaks of darker fur around the insides of his paws and near his tail. Happily, the kitten turned over so Jared could continue his observation. A minute later, he dared to place them nose to nose.

Sniffing, the kitten blinked then placed his right paw on Jared’s cheek before a rough, pink tongue licked his nose. Bored, the kitten darted away, stumbling over itself once again to play with its own tail.

There were a few times when Jared tried to get the kitten to rest on his chest again, but he quickly discovered that the kitten was not at all interested in staying still. This was especially true since there were so many things that could be played with. The more they played—Jared borrowed a lace from Jensen’s boot, hoping he wouldn’t mind—the more Jared noticed. The kitten was twice the size of any kitten he had seen in Meridian, with larger paws and rounder ears. Every time he wanted to pounce, he would crouch down and wiggle. Jared was tempted to mimic the motion.

He was nearly disappointed when the little one stopped for a break of water. Before he could be distracted by something else, Jared gently nudged the food bowl towards him in an effort to have him finish what was left. The young breeder’s entire world was narrowed to this little one and he was relieved to have it so. Everything else about this new place and their situation in it—all that had to be done—was unimportant.

In his excitement, the kitten bounded over to Jared’s hand. Thinking that Jared was playing and that his hand was a toy, the kitten dug its claws in.

“Ow!” Jared yelped but did not pull his hand back. The kitten bumped at his palm with its back claws and started gnawing. When blood appeared, Jared wiggled him off gently.

“MmphJay?” Jensen snorted from the bed, twisting around quickly. “’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” he answered as cheerfully as possible. “Go back to sleep.”

Another snort was given and the covers were tossed. The kitten was startled by all the movement and scurried to hide itself Jared’s hand, even though it was too big. It stuck its head firmly into Jared’s palm, not caring about the cast. Of course it was only seconds before the cast became another victim of the kitten’s sharp teeth. Better the cast than his skin, Jared thought with a smile despite his wounds.

“Jay, you’re bleeding,” his Master grumbled and knelt down beside him. The kitten peeked up with wide, innocent eyes, its tail puffed up.

“He didn’t mean it and I’m fine.” There was no protest from the kitten when Jared sat up so they could sit together, kitten in his lap. “Although…” Jared admitted softly. “A bandage would be nice.”

With only a few grumbles, Jensen got up and walked over to a pack by the door. As he dug through it he mentioned that Jared’s packs were with Nicky and that everything had made it. Happy with this news, Jared scooted the food bowl near the kitten, who began to eat once more, keeping an eye on Jensen at all times.

“And my ring? Is it there also?” the young breeder asked as his right hand was cleaned and bandaged by Jensen’s careful hands.

Jensen’s brow furrowed. “I didn’t check. I thought you had it on?”

“I didn’t wake up with it, I thought maybe… you had taken it off,” Jared whispered, tears in his eyes. “What if it’s in the water? I… I’m sorry…” When tears fell, the kitten mewled and bumped its head against Jared’s cast. He pet it, never thinking not to, but his anxiety was spiking. How could he lose something so precious? Old Jared would never lose something so significant.

Firm hands appeared on Jared’s jaw line, thumbs rubbing in soothing circles. Tired, yet confident, green eyes met his directly. “Calm down, Jared. I’m sure it’s around here somewhere. I felt it on our trip. And even if it’s not, that’s alright.”

“You say that but I can tell,” Jared murmured and hiccupped, “that it’s not alright.”

Trying to reclaim attention for himself, the kitten leaned up and batted at Jared’s chin. He held it close, hand bandaged, and got some comfort from the little one’s purring. Jensen watched them both, something in his eyes that Jared thought looked like grief. Jared had to remind himself that Jensen carried grief over their lost child; he wasn’t used to Masters feeling anything but rage or disappointment when breeders miscarried.

“There are more important things than a piece of silver,” his Master said simply, with a tone that signaled the end of the discussion. “You should be resting.”

At the mention of staying still, the kitten wriggled in Jared’s grasp. He let the ball of fur down and watched it skid over to the previously abandoned shoelace. “I am resting. He’s very good.” Jared picked up the shoelace and dangled it above the kitten, who didn’t need the help but seemed to appreciate it. They sat there, shoulder to shoulder, leaning against the bed as the little one played. His food dish was empty, which pleased Jared. He would have at least one good thing to report to the kitten’s parents.

The only thing that distracted Jared from the kitten was Jensen placing his right hand over Jared’s left. They had shared a bed together various times—his Master had delivered a litter of his—so truly there was very little that Jensen had not seen of the breeder and vice versa. But this small touch caused him to blush and feel warm all over. His Master’s hands were calloused and a little rough, yet familiar and entirely wanted. Jared glanced down to admire the freckles that dusted the top of Jensen’s hand. They were faint, like the stripes and spots on the kitten tumbling around in front of them, but they were uniquely Jensen. And just like the kitten, Jensen slipped his fingers in between Jared’s even through the cast.

He looked up and saw Jensen looking back at him.

Lines to a song floated through his mind.

It was natural for them to lean towards each other—a magnetic pull there. It was not so natural for a kitten to attack their joined hands, flailing and meowing wildly.

“Son of a bitch!” Jensen hissed and shook the kitten off. “What the fuck…”

Of course at that very moment, the Alpha appeared, opening the door without a knock. “Excuse me? Did I hear swearing in front of my cub?”

The young breeder remained silent, biting his bottom lip and squirming under the Alpha’s piercing gaze. Jensen shook his hand and grumbled something. Sensing that he was under scrutiny, the kitten curled up in Jared’s lap, looking up at him with wide eyes, purring loudly.

“That’s what I thought,” the Alpha muttered and knelt down near Jared and the kitten. His tone softened when he addressed Jared, one hand on the kitten’s head. “You have survived your first hour of babysitting a very fussy cub.” His eyes flitted to Jared’s hand. “Is that deep? Should I call Dee?”

“Oh, no, I’m fine,” Jared replied quietly. “Thank you.”

“You’re the one that needs to be thanked. Thank you for watching him. Now, I usually pay my babysitters with food, so would you like to join us for dinner? An invitation has been extended to Nicky as well.”

“And Jensen? And the Judge? And my brother?” Jared found the courage to ask. “Please?”

The Alpha and Jensen shared a look that the breeder could not translate. Finally, the Alpha nodded and Jared accepted. The kitten was picked up by his parent and the two left so that Jared could get dressed for dinner. He was given a sweater and a pair of loose trousers, plus a pair of thick socks and shoes that looked like thicker slippers.

“You can take a bath with Nicky later, before bed,” Jensen murmured, helping the young breeder get dressed. “You stay close to her at night, okay?”

“Why can’t you stay with me?”

“It’s only for a few nights, sweetheart. They’ll pass by quick and before you know it, I’ll be hogging the covers from you and snoring and taking up the entire bed. So you better enjoy the freedom now.” All of the clothes were warm and smelled clean, which Jared was thankful for. He had spent a lot of his life unclothed, and while breeders did not have a preference, he had one at the moment.

Quickly, as Jensen got dressed in his formal clothes, Jared made the bed and tidied things up. It made him uneasy to think of being separated from Jensen even if it was for the night. Hand in hand, his Master led them out of the room, which turned out to be a small attic, through a door in the floor and down a few stairs. Jared held onto Jensen tightly, not knowing what to expect.

 

Dinner was nothing like the affairs in Meridian, or even the few in Lee.

Rejoined with Nicky, the two breeders were surprised when they were offered seats of their own, complete with cushions. The Alpha’s household was small, with one main floor and the attic Jared had woken up in—which totaled to about four or five bedrooms from what he could initially see. It was sparsely decorated, with only a few of the most necessary furnishings. It was all drastically different from the households both breeders had either occupied or visited in their experiences. Although Jared had often been confined to small spaces those had always been within larger households with at least fifteen rooms and different studies throughout. Simple hardwood floors were to be had here; no marble or ceramic tile as Jared had cleaned in the past. 

The kitchen here, as he had glanced on his way to the dining room, was a fifth of the size of the kitchen he and Nicky had shared in Lee. There was electricity here and it seemed to work steadily, with no lapses in light. A few windows proved to Jared that it was not yet sundown. His sense of time was distorted.

He remembered his arrival at Master Eli’s household and how the many rooms had overwhelmed him. How the grandeur of it all had been marvelous and daunting at the same time. A deep clean of the Alpha’s household would only take an hour, if he were given the proper supplies and such. He held onto Jensen for the entire time, until they were all seated. However, Jared did give Master Jeff a brief hug before sitting down. The Master seemed to appreciate it.

All three Masters looked exhausted, which was rare for them, especially the Judge, who always seemed to possess limitless energy. Although it seemed that Nicky’s company beside him made him happy, the Judge was withdrawn and quiet.

The table was set with only the necessities. Jared admired the silverware, it seemed of good quality. Nicky, he noticed, was busy observing the state of their violet tablecloth. It was no finery but it seemed to do them well enough. Dinner was the Doctor’s responsibility; the Alpha explained when they were all sitting. “He takes care of the human food, I get the cat food.”

“Please, help yourselves,” Dee announced when their plates were served. The Alpha was served first, which was logical to Jared. What was completely unexpected was Jared and Nicky being served next. It made him extremely uncomfortable to be given food before Jensen. He looked over at his Master, who didn’t seem to notice this detail or what it meant. Perhaps this was a test. Certainly it must be a test. Jared looked to Nicky for reassurance but she looked as lost as he was. Carefully, Jared lifted up his bowl and placed it in front of Jensen. Yes, that was much better.

“Jay,” Jensen murmured with an edge. “What are you doing?”

It was Dee who said something about Jared’s action first. “Jared, omegas are always served first. It’s how things are done here.”

Without a word, the Alpha observed everything, which made Jared more anxious. Every time he looked up there were sharp eyes on him. The Alpha flitted back and forth between somewhat kind and then cold and distant. Before anything else could be said, Dee placed a bowl in front of Jared. He smiled at the young breeder and urged him to start eating. Jared did not do so until everyone was served and Dee was seated. The food in front of them was explained as venison stew made with squash, potatoes, and carrots. It smelled and looked as good as any dish Jared had ever made or been fed, but he questioned it. His portion was as big as Jensen’s and there were thick cubes of meat. He had always eaten well in their household—never denied anything he wanted to eat—but Jared did not come from a lifetime of being served this way. Although he was hungry he could not imagine finishing the entire bowl.

A gentle elbow nudged him. It was Master Jeff.

“Eat what you can and save the rest for later,” he said calmly. “Try it, Dustin is a good cook.”

Assured that nothing would happen to him if he did not eat the entire portion, Jared tried a spoonful. The stew was as good as it looked and he was able to detect most of the ingredients. It was slightly spicy, which he was not used to, but did not mind. Bread was passed to him and he took a piece, following the lead of everyone else and eating it with the stew.

A cup of red wine was poured and passed to Jared.

All three Masters and Nicky jumped up in their seats. Jensen took the cup away, passing it back to Dustin. “They can’t have alcohol. Never.”

“Is that your rule or theirs?” the Alpha asked briskly.

Jensen’s shoulders bristled. “I would never restrict what he ate or drank on purpose!”

“What he means is that alcohol is poison to us,” Nicky spoke up, looking at the Alpha and then towards Jensen. “Please pass the bread.”

There was a moment of tense silence but Dustin broke it. “No problems. That is certainly news to us. Omegas can drink when they are not expecting. It has no harmful effect on their systems. Let me get you both some juice. I think Madison brought us some orange juice this morning.”

The juice they were poured was fresh and sweet. Both breeders finished their first glasses quickly and were immediately given more without even having to ask or wait. By the time dinner ended, Jared had had two glasses of juice and finished half of his bowl with a piece of bread. “Just you wait,” the Alpha said to him and Nicky. “The entire Pride wants to entertain you. You’ll have leftovers for a year.”

Each breeder insisted on picking up the table. Their insistence was allowed by the Alpha after Dustin mentioned it would be good for them to do something familiar. Jared expected their Masters and hosts to move into the living room for after dinner coffee and drinks, but no one moved. Efficiently, working alongside each other in a familiar rhythm, the breeders had the table cleared and dishes washed within ten minutes. It felt good to have his hands in a sink full of soapy water—water he could handle. It felt even better to hear and feel Nicky’s purring beside him. For a few minutes it seemed like they had never left Lee, as if Jensen might arrive home from town at any moment and they could, the three of them, curl up on the porch swing like before. As if all he had to do to feel safe was to slide into their bed and nose at Jensen’s jaw, then wait only seconds to receive tender kisses. It was difficult to slip in and out of his memories; they did not seem like memories. It was still entirely too new to think about everything all at once. It was much more manageable to think about the task in front of him. He sensed that Nicky was struggling with this as well. 

When the breeders returned to the dining room, the Alpha stood up and spoke. “We have a while before the sun sets and I’d like to show you some of the grounds. I’ve asked everyone to remain in their human forms and not to crowd around you. Are these plans acceptable to you or would you prefer to remain inside for tonight?”

Jared looked at Jensen for an answer. Jensen shrugged. “It’s up to you, Jay.”

“Will you come with?” the young breeder asked. “Please?”

“Yeah, I’ll come with. Then I want you to rest.”

“Of course.” He was delighted when Jensen put an arm around his shoulders as they walked out of the house. Beside Jensen he felt safe and less overwhelmed. Knowing that Nicky, the Judge, and Master Jeff were near only enhanced his sense of calm. Master Jeff asked about Jared’s arm, which he replied seemed to be fine, if a little itchy. All other symptoms from before were thankfully gone. His dinner settled in his stomach and he only felt a few aches. Walking felt good.

Outside, the weather was mild, with the heat from the day receding and a chill from the upcoming evening passing through. The sky was changing colors in a way Jared had seen during his days chained outside and later on during his time with Jensen on the porch swing.

The Alpha’s steady voice sounded as their party was escorted through the community.

Gone were the tall, glass buildings of Lee. Gone was the bustle of hundreds of people on the street—Masters and breeders—going towards the market or headed towards their places of business. There was no great swell of people or noise of commerce. There was no sound of carriages or the clop of horse shoes on the pavement. There were no robe shops or brothels or even a marketplace. Although everything was widely spread out, it was drastically different. And Jared had spent a lot of time in the country—he was accustomed to open spaces of land. But his time in country households had always been leveled with time in the nearest city or town. Even Meridian had some tall buildings.

“Think of our Pride as a circle,” the Alpha stated, hands behind his back as he walked. “At the center is the fire pit and claw tree. We keep our most precious members of society in the center—so that they are never exposed or vulnerable. Omega residences are the ones you see closest to the fire pit, the Alpha house, and the safety house. Beta residences are further out, closer to the play area, the field, and store house. They are external—our first line of defense should anyone or anything threaten us here. There are two Doctor facilities on the opposite ends—one near the play area and one near the store house. Dustin is our primary Doctor at the moment. Our last Doctor… well, moving on.”

The houses that they saw were mostly similar to the Alpha’s, however it was clear that the omega residences in the center—of which there were about twenty but it was difficult to count—were built of finer material. Each house was lit with either fire or electricity. People of all shapes and sizes peeked out. Some were darker than the Alpha, and some were as light as Jared. Some were as tall as Master Jeff but most were around Nicky and Jared’s heights. There seemed to be omegas of every kind, some that looked like Jared and some that looked like Nicky. There were a few that were younger, though Jared could not tell their ages, and a few that were older with gray hair. However, no matter what their appearance, the omegas all seemed healthy; there were kittens and babies in most of the residences, which Jared immediately wanted to play with.

“How many omegas are there?” Nicky asked, switching Jared’s thoughts from the babies to her question. “And are we considered omegas? I have heard us referred to as such.”

“Well, there are thirty-five adult omegas. Adults are seventeen years and up. I haven’t separated out this year’s newest litter, but there are forty cubs between everyone at the moment, with a few on the way. Ms. Deb takes care of the cubs when their parents need a break. She’s also our midwife; she has been present at every delivery since she can remember. Seen a lot of cubs. Anyway,” the Alpha sighed. “Yes, you are to us, considered omegas. The only thing that separates a beta from an omega is the inability to produce life. Only omegas have that gift, as I understand the both of you do.”

Jared squeezed Jensen’s hand. He had only technically produced three living pups. That hardly qualified a breeder any important or respected status. Nicky, on the other hand, had had two successful litters, with the last one exceeding her quota and all of them alive.

“Omegas do more than reproduce,” Dustin added. They stopped near a large tree in the center of the community. It was old and gnarled, but bore the claw marks of many cats. Jared shuddered at the sight of such large marks. “They are responsible for the field, the gardens, and hunting. Betas are responsible for residence maintenance, patrol, and fishing. There are other things that are more specialized as well, but I won’t bore you with the details.”

“Are you a beta?” Jared asked Dustin in a moment of boldness. “Is my Master a beta?”

The Alpha seemed pleased that Jared asked a question. He looked at Dustin; they shared another silent exchange of words. Dustin answered Jared. “Technically? Yes. Anyone who can’t create life is a beta.”

“Is there another Alpha?” Nicky asked afterwards.

“No,” the Alpha replied simply and started walking on. As they followed, Dustin clarified.

“There is only one Alpha per Pride. We are one of two Prides in this state. The other is about five hundred miles south and we are respectful of their territory as they are ours. We visit their Pride once a year. They are urban, which I’m told is more of what you are used to.”

The older breeder shook her head. She held the Judge’s hand as they walked. “Not necessarily. Your households are smaller, but all of my Masters have resided in the country.”

“Interesting. And why do you call them Masters, if I may ask?” Dustin inquired, his tone attentive. “I ask because our partners are referred to as mates. Both mates are equal, however, in any time of crisis it is the beta’s honor and privilege to defend their omega and ensure their survival above all else.”

“Yeah, in theory,” the Alpha grumbled. As they passed households the Alpha nodded to the people who looked out and waved. Many people were curious, but respectful, and maintained their distance. A few called out hellos and greetings, but most offered friendly smiles. The Alpha only paused twice on their walk, to answer questions, and Jared knew that even though they were on a tour, the Alpha was carefully monitoring and observing everything.

“Not theory,” Dustin insisted. “Always in practice.”

Sensing that there was something more remaining unsaid, Nicky answered the question. “Masters are just Masters. I have had very cruel Masters and very… well, kind ones.” There was a blush on her face and the Judge gave a small but sincere smile. “Masters are responsible for us—they are our everything. It is our purpose and place to serve them in any way possible. We provide them with offspring and service and a clean household. They provide us with… with…” Jared saw the look in her eyes change and heard something wrong in the tone of her voice. She faltered in her step but the Judge held onto her firmly.

“Nicky?” Jared went to her at once, Jensen urging him forward. “Are you ill?”

Her clear green eyes were clouded with tears. She bit down on her lip and shook her head. The rest of their party stopped, but the breeders were given room. Even the Judge stepped aside so they could have a moment together.

“Jared,” she whispered, holding onto his shoulders. “Look at the ground.”

 

It only took him seconds to see what she was referring to.

Their shadows were flickering.  

 


	12. Conditions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's midnight by the lake and something crucial is asked of Jensen and Jeff.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> short chapter, sorry!
> 
> can y'all guess what they want? 
> 
> thank you for reading! <3

Jensen:

At midnight, they came for him.

Through the residences filled with sleeping omegas, children, and resting betas, the Alpha led Jensen and Jeff. This time, no one hid their cat forms. Each cat was six to eight feet long, with heavy, long tails that had distinct stripes at the ends. Every cat except the Alpha had those marks; it was a detail Jensen did not overlook. The Alpha was also on the smaller side of the average cat size, leaner but faster. And despite his size, he always led.

The Pride land was mostly flat, located two miles from the Alpha’s house and the center of the community. There were only two paved roads out of the Pride—Jeff had explained, already making his own maps—and both led to the fishing piers, which were also the two most important beta bases. There were sixteen beta bases in total, with two to three betas at a time stationed there at all times.

Miles of forest surrounded the Pride’s residences. It was their home, along with the lake, and they legally owned four hundred acres of the forest, but only used one-tenth of the six thousand acre lake. The breeders had landed in the middle of the deepest portion of their section, and although thirty-five feet was not deep in comparison to an ocean, it was deep enough for those who could not swim.

Behind Jensen, in the distance, hickory and walnut trees loomed. Not one breath of wind rustled their leaves, making them still and silent watchers. Before him, on either side of the road, were smaller patches of thin dogwood trees, until they faded and opened up into soft, lush grass that looked topaz at night. Eventually, the land turned to sand, and the seemingly endless view of the lake commanded his attention. It was audible and its waters were uneasy and choppy still, despite the storm having passed.

Something felt wrong.

The air was too still and the lake too loud. Jensen didn’t need a cat’s senses to know that.

The Alpha’s advisor was a beta named Madison. She shifted first. No matter how many times Jensen witnessed the act, it always awed him. A shift was seamless and took seconds, often too fast to see with ordinary human eyes. It was a perfect transition; however, a cat was vulnerable during its shift. Since it was done so quickly, the window to strike remained small. The Alpha always shifted last in a group of cats, keeping his powerful, bone-crushing jaw until all members of the party were finished. This present group consisted of the Alpha, Madison, and two other male and female betas Jensen did not know.

Madison looked at the lake. She was just as tall as Jensen, with light brown skin and alert blue eyes. Her long hair was tied back in a braid and she wore a simple white shirt and jeans. Most didn’t wear shoes in human form, except for the Alpha, who was always in his high heeled boots.

“We have given you permission to stay,” the Alpha declared. “However, it is now that we must make our conditions clear.”

“Conditions?” Jensen echoed, becoming tense. They had put the breeders to bed and stayed in someone’s residence until they were called for. The night before all three of them—himself, Jeff, and Misha—had kept watch on a beta base, monitored by two betas, one of who was Madison. From midnight to eight in the morning he had managed to stay awake, pushing himself to prove that he could do it. Tonight, Misha felt ill and the MedLight was out of battery. He had been allowed to stay behind.

Walking back and forth, as he was prone to do, the Alpha nodded. “Yes, conditions. It is apparent to us that you will never survive here as you are. At least, not all of you.”

There was something menacing in that tone that Jensen did not appreciate. Jeff’s hand appeared on his elbow, a signal for Jensen to shut up and calm down. The Alpha continued.

“Everyone in our Pride pulls their weight, even our cubs. Would you be betas the requirement is three nights of patrol and base duty. Each base is five miles apart and our hunting grounds are hundreds of acres. To pass the beta test each beta must complete a run to Driskill Mountain… twenty-five miles away.”

When he sensed Jeff become tense, Jensen knew this was going all sorts of wrong.

“Fine,” Jensen snapped. “I’ll run to that mountain, whatever. I’ve already finished one night of watch—I can do that again.”

“You are impetuous,” Madison snapped back at him.

“I am what I need to be to defend my own,” he snarled.

“Enough,” the Alpha commanded and shot a look at Madison. “Don’t interrupt my conversations.”

“My apologies, Alpha,” the beta replied softly and bowed her head. She still narrowed her eyes at Jensen afterwards.

Jeff spoke up, standing beside Jensen. “Alpha, these are things we are too willing to do if that is what is required of us. You said you are in need of another Doctor, both Jensen and I are qualified to fill that position. We don’t intend to stay here for free.”

At this, the Alpha gave a small smile. “You miss the point entirely, Jeff. No human could adequately keep up with the demands of our work.”

It was clear now, what they wanted, what they were asking.

“I’ll do it,” Jensen blurted out.

Even the betas gasped. The Alpha just shook his head. “You don’t even know what it might mean.”

“I don’t care!” Jensen shouted, desperation in his chest. “I don’t care what it might mean as long as you let us stay, as long as Jared has a place where he’s taken care of and valued. You can do it right now—right here—and I won’t put up any kind of struggle. I’ve come too fucking far for ultimatums, just do it!”

For the duration of his speech, his voice drowned out the sound of the lake.

What prevented these cats from killing them?

 

He did not know.

There were no more answers even when he felt the Alpha’s hand on his throat.


	13. Reckless

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like this chapter is too short for a summary? maybe? it's 1 am and i'm exhausted. -_-

Jensen:

Nothing happened.

He met face to face with the Alpha, whose features he noticed were more delicate and feminine than any male were he had seen on this world so far. The grip on his throat was firm but not crushing. Jensen did not flinch. He had seen too many missions—Jared often by his side—and survived too many things to be easily frightened. Shoulders back and his spine straight, he met the Alpha’s eyes directly.

“I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone so reckless,” the Alpha murmured and released his hold, taking a step back. “What if you were to turn into something you could not control? What if you could not harness the power given to you and your mate was put in danger?”

“Excuse me, Alpha,” Jensen replied, putting his tone as respectful as he could, which had always been an effort for him. “You would never do anything that would put an omega in harm’s way.”

There was a laugh and a flash of teeth.

“Get to your post,” the Alpha commanded, letting go, and walking away. He headed towards the road in the direction of the second fishing pier. Something was muttered to the betas, who nodded and turned to Jensen and Jeff. Madison looked at them, rolled her eyes, and sighed.

“I’m stuck babysitting both of you. Let’s go.”


	14. Reserved

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> jared spends his time cleaning and organizing, while Dustin brings him a present.

It was increasingly upsetting for both breeders not to have a permanent residence of their own. Breeders were never used to staying anywhere for an extended period of time—moving from the academy to wherever their Masters wanted to settle—but breeders were even less used to being guests. Even though Dustin insisted that they needed to rest and that they didn’t have to do anything, Nicky and Jared could not sit still the entire day. It was unnatural for a breeder to be waited on, especially since Jared had spent a lot of time as a second breeder and he wasn’t used to anyone in particular asking him if he needed more towels or another blanket or another portion of food.

Twice, they deep cleaned the Alpha’s residence.

Although it was what Dustin called “work,” to Jared it was pleasant and distracting. No matter how much had changed in their escape to this world a broom was still a broom and for that both breeders were immensely grateful. There was something very calming about seeing things clean and put away by their own hands. Often they were side by side as usual—there were only four rooms to clean—but at all times, the kitten followed after Jared.

Suya, the kitten’s actual name, which Jared found charming to say, still preferred his cat form and hadn’t once shifted. Neither breeder had actually seen a cat yet, but Jared hoped he would at least see Suya shift. In the meantime, Jared tried to piece together a song in his head as he washed and chopped vegetables in the kitchen on their third afternoon at the Alpha’s house. He had been given permission to make dinner for their party that evening. Sometimes Suya would be content sitting on Jared’s feet—not beside, on—but he meowed in protest if he went too long like that. So, Suya usually sat perched on Jared’s shoulder, tail swishing as he watched the young breeder’s hands move rhythmically across the cutting board.

The sound and feeling of Suya purring comforted Jared. A few more attempts at purring had proved failures. Jensen reassured him every time that it would come back, that it was something temporary, but with each passing day nothing improved. Even the small moments in the evening before they were separated, when Jensen would run his hands all over Jared’s body, rubbing and massaging soothingly, no sound ever came.

When he was not worrying about his purr, he was worrying about his ring. Both Jensen and Master Jeff—Jeff—had searched and turned up nothing. Just as with his purring, Jensen tried telling Jared that if all they lost was a ring then they should be grateful.

It seemed silly for a breeder to mourn any of their personal items, but Jared could not forget the feeling of silver on his finger, telling the entire world that he belonged to one person and one person only.

He would have to make do.

“Mew,” Suya announced, bumping his head against Jared’s ear. “Mew, mew.”

“Only one,” Jared whispered with a small smile, his worries cleared out for the moment. He held up a piece of carrot and the kitten took it in its mouth, then leapt off of Jared, careful with his claws as he had learned to do. In turn, Jared had learned that the kitten would take the carrot, hide it, and eat it later. Dustin explained that Suya would be learning how to hunt soon—part of preliminary training for all kittens no matter what their identification.

Thankful meows could be heard from the corner of the kitchen and Jared started humming. Nicky was outside, trying to weed the small patch of garden so they could improve on it. Every ten minutes she would come inside and check on Jared, which he welcomed. Everyone in this new place seemed friendly whenever they were outside, but it was comforting to see a familiar face, especially Nicky’s.

The kitchen here had one window looking out to the land behind the residence, which faced the safe house, the very first building they had been taken to. All the residences were only one floor high, with a few having small attics, but never larger than that. The safe house and hospital were one large building, with two garages for something like a carriage to stay inside. Strange, but Jared had seen no horses here. He wondered how anyone from the Pride got around in the miles of forest. He also wanted to know if there were horses anywhere, so maybe, if they allowed him, he could take care of them on occasion. In addition, he was still unclear about what exactly was expected of them every day. A breeder’s responsibilities and duties changed from household to household, but Jared had found that his days had been spent mostly the same way with either old Master or Jensen. Of course there had been vast differences in the way the young breeder had been treated and regarded in those households but—he had to smile at this thought—a broom was a broom. He could make himself useful to this Pride, if only he understood how. It was best to know exactly what was expected of him.

Chopping up the last of the carrots—he would try to make something similar to roast beef with the venison the Alpha would be bringing soon—Jared repeated his list of chores to himself.

“Make the beds, make breakfast, serve breakfast, help Master prepare the carriage, send him off, and come back inside.” This kitchen was small but it had been well-loved, with a chopping board that saw regular use and utensils that were taken care of by their owners. There wasn’t anything too complicated in this kitchen—he had an oven that had to be lit with a piece of paper and flame, a small stovetop for frying, and one sink of running water. Every residence was equipped with these things, though Dustin had mentioned that in their cat forms these things hardly seemed necessary. Still, he had uncovered a set of china that looked as fine as any Jared had seen before. He wondered who used it, Dustin or the Alpha?

He wondered if Jensen would buy him china for their residence.

“You look sad,” Dustin said, walking into the kitchen, holding parcels of meat and setting them down near Jared. When they were placed before Jared—so neatly wrapped—he bowed. Jared looked at him questioningly. “It’s a sign of respect,” he explained as Jared untied the parcels. “It’s an honor for a beta to bring food to an omega. I hope it’s to your liking.”

Venison had never been a staple for any Master the young breeder had ever served but he could manage.

“Of course, yes, thank you,” Jared blurted out.

“It’s not a problem. I was on patrol with the omegas and they let me catch one.”

Curiosity and Dustin’s easy going nature, which reminded Jared of the Judge, had him ask what hunting was like. Hunting parties went out once every other day, on a schedule all omegas were raised with. One team of beta patrols went with each party, beta teams being two cats for every four omegas. Generation to generation, omegas taught their own, honing and refining their hunting skills every year. An omega, Dustin assured the young breeder, could take down a buck with very little help from anyone else, and still hold their kittens with affection and love. Within their Pride, this was how they all functioned together. Their hunting grounds were extensive and had recently grown one hundred acres thanks to their current Alpha—that last part was said with a smidge of pride that Jared caught on. While the omegas were capable of hunting on their own, the previous Alpha had established patrols to accompany them as an added precaution and the current Alpha saw no reason to discontinue the practice.

“Sometimes,” Dustin said, his tone more somber, “there are cats that don’t belong to any Pride. We call them strays. Sometimes they’ll pass near our borders and see omegas hunting, and then assume that our omegas are weak. The betas are there in case anything should happen.”

Putting down the parcel and thinking for a moment, Jared took in a deep breath before asking, “Am I a stray?”

“No, not at all,” was answered with a smile. “You obviously belong to someone. I can tell.”

Jared blushed. Suya had fallen asleep on his feet once more.

“Ah, yes,” Dustin proclaimed. “You miss your mate.”

Hands working hastily, the young breeder tried not to give off an air that he wanted anything at all. However, he could barely contain his smile or his tears after two more mentions of Jensen, who had been keeping watch at night and sleeping during the day.

“I do,” Jared whispered, not making eye contact. “I miss our home.”

Picking up Suya and cradling him, Dustin sighed, though it sounded happy.

“There’s a saying, yeah? Home is where the heart is.”

Nicky joined them two minutes later, helping Jared cut up the meat and start the oven. Seeing his smile, she asked what had cheered him up. Sliding the main entrée into the oven, Jared was hopeful. Dustin had promised he would speak to the Alpha about their arrangements. Soon enough they would not be guests.

“I know where my home is,” Jared answered simply, closing the oven door. 


	15. Power

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jensen is trying his best to survive without help; Jared finds it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those of you who were right, when you're right, you're right! :D
> 
> There is smut in the next chapter, prepare yourselves! And yes, this is still a mpreg fic. Take that for what you would like... :D
> 
> Excited to be moving along and cranking out chapters. I'm glad y'all are enjoying this!
> 
> Thank you for reading! <3
> 
> (And I'm having fun turning around were tropes; exciting!)

Jared broke a rule by running out of the Alpha’s house when Jensen was in sight.

Trudging along from his sleeping quarters with other betas—as the Alpha insisted it had to be for now—his Master looked like he was about to fall over. A brief glance at the Judge and Jeff proved them in similar shape, however, Jared’s focus was entirely on his Master.

Running in a way that felt rejuvenating, Jared sprinted. It was nearing sundown and Jensen had just finished a double shift, on watch from midnight to eight that morning, then from eight to four that afternoon. The clunky house shoes he wore were tossed off and he ran down the length of the lane barefoot, not minding anything or anyone. It was instinct to kneel before his Master and offer himself up to whatever his Master needed at the moment. Even if he was wearing trousers and a shirt like a Master, it was still his responsibility as a breeder to be there for his Master. And more than his responsibility, it was his honor to be there for Jensen.

“Jay,” Jensen sighed as they embraced. Kneeling would do nothing; Jared held onto his Master firmly. “It’s so good to see you.”

There would be few things Jared could ever find as comforting as Jensen’s arms around him. Though he realized he was supposed to be comforting Jensen, he could not help but indulge in that hold. His Master smelled like fresh soil and clean sweat, with something spicy and unique underneath that Jared had since come to know as singular to Jensen. Willing himself to purr, nothing came, so he took a bold move and met Jensen’s clear green eyes, then kissed him firmly. He squealed when he was promptly picked up and spun around.

“Definitely good to see you,” his Master declared again, this time with a wide smile and more energetic tone. “You did mean to kiss me, right? You didn’t aim for someone else and make a wrong turn?”

“Certainly not!” Jared insisted, pouting at the accusation. Jensen’s hands were on his waist, near his belly, and that made the young breeder feel flushed. Perhaps in some recent time before he would have crumpled at that jest. He would have placed his head down, knelt, and begged for forgiveness, and then waited for the first blow of a whip. That was all in the back of his mind, looming and pressing, but it did not deter him from replying. “I am so glad to see you too. Are you well? You look…”

Jensen interrupted him, which was unusual. “I’m fine,” he snipped slightly, but quickly took a softer tone. “I can handle it. I’ll just sleep extra well tonight. Now, what’s this talk I hear about you making dinner?”

The way Jensen spoke and the abrupt change in conversation alarmed Jared but he kept quiet. They separated from their embrace but Jensen still placed an arm around Jared’s shoulders, which helped some. They were the last to enter the Alpha’s house and he was grateful that Nicky had pulled the meat out of the oven. Jared excused himself from his Master’s side and slipped into the kitchen, as the rest of the Masters and Dustin settled in the living room. There were several offers to help the breeders but Nicky rejected each one. Standing side by side while carving the venison, Nicky leaned in to whisper, the older breeder’s tone as hushed as possible.

“Our Masters suffer and we spend our days here, spoiled and pampered. This is not right, Jared. It pains me to see them all in the state they’re in. And they are all too idiotically stubborn to speak up about it. Something must be done and I fear that we are the ones to do it.”

Serving and plating, Jared took a moment to think. He could not say that their hosts were anything but generous—they had every comfort—but it hurt to see that the same consideration was not given to the ones who had saved them.

The sound of the back door opening caused both breeders to flinch. The Alpha walked in, Suya in hand, who was placed down and immediately went for Jared’s feet, then tumbled off to find wherever he had hidden his carrot from before, soon to be put to bed. Nicky sighed and went back to plating. Jared set down his carving tools and stepped forward.

“Alpha,” he started, his voice shaky and unsure.

The Alpha leaned against a countertop, hands on either side of him, his attention on Jared. “Yes?”

Which way would be better to speak to the Alpha? Although he was sure the Alpha would not physically hurt him, he wasn’t sure the Alpha would not dole out retribution on their Masters. He hoped his assumption that the Alpha would prefer direct conversation was correct.

“My Master needs me—I need him. I… I want to be with him. And my brother and the Judge.”

“In time that will happen.”

“No,” Jared insisted even though it was dangerous to do so. “I… please, I have been separated from him for too long. And I know he will not tell me he is hurting because he thinks he can do it all on his own. I would not have him think that—I would not be that. It’s not right.” The young breeder tried to keep his body language as open and calm as possible in an attempt to assure the Alpha he was not looking for confrontation. “I don’t know if he’s told you all of what has happened but I need him. Just as much as he needs me.”

Pushing himself off of the counter, the Alpha paced, with a glance towards the dining room. Jared looked at the older breeder, who linked her hand in his, assuring him that she agreed. This was not an action gone unnoticed by the Alpha.

“Did he whip you?” the Alpha asked plainly, eyes on Jared. “Has he ever whipped you, Jared?”

Of course his mind flashed back to when he was heavy with a litter and old Master was handing the whip to Jensen, insisting that he try it out, that he punish Jared for spilling food on his lap. It had been such a terrible offense to mess a Master’s clothes, to inconvenience and embarrass him in such a way. All of his training had been to serve his Master and whomever his Master had over; guests were an extension of the household. All of those terrible feelings came back to him. And the punishment afterward hadn't been--as he wanted to say--the whip. It had been being dragged for ten miles, while carrying a litter, ending up in town filhy and shamed for everyone to know what a bad breeder he was. That had been the punishment.

“Yes,” the breeder answered, pushing himself to be back in the situation he was currently in, unable to lie.

The Alpha seemed surprised by the honest answer. “And you would have me leave you alone with him? Did he not also pull you by your hair? Talk down to you? Tell you what to do?”

“He is also the father of my deceased child!” Jared cried out, shocked by the volume and intensity of his voice, which was rarely raised to anyone. “And the savior of all other breeders. It’s… it is unfair for anyone to single out those things without context, please!” His instinct kicked in, too intense to push away and disregard as he had before, and he knelt before the Alpha, who looked uneasy at the action. “My old Master ordered him to whip me and if he had not done so he would have been exposed. He also did not know who I was yet, or if I was a trick played to him by… he did not know! It is _my_ business to forgive him for those actions and I have, a thousand times over because a thousand times over he has proven himself to me in loyalty and in faith. Please, I don’t want to be separated anymore. I want to earn my keep just as I know Nicky does, for she too deserves her Master.”

A flash of anger appeared in the Alpha’s eyes and Jared braced himself for a blow.

“You were more than whipped, weren’t you?” the Alpha snarled. “More than neglected and bruised when he found you.”

“I was left to give birth in a cellar by my former Master,” Jared blurted out, though he could not be sure his voice was louder than a whisper. “It was… my first time. I had no water, no blanket, nothing to provide for them. And… and… he heard me screaming. He stopped. They both did. They opened the cellar and helped me, like I mattered at all.” He took in a deep breath, eyes firmly on the Alpha’s boots. “He delivered them and… you should have seen it… he tried to hide it from me to spare me. Most were dead, and when they took the rest away, they could not stand it, either of them. Yes, they were odd and I could not understand much of their actions or why he was so cold. Yes, it hurt in ways I didn’t know I could hurt. Yes, he has made mistakes and he continues to do so thinking that this is his burden alone. But I would be dead in that cellar, Alpha, please. I left everything… I left my pups, my child, and doll all behind to be with him. There isn’t any way I can express what I feel for him but to simply tell you—I want to be with Jensen.”

He felt himself keep speaking but he could not focus. These weren’t the tiles of their household or even his old Master’s but they all seemed to blur together. His shadow flickered wildly as he told the Alpha of the many nights he spent chained to a post outside, of his fear of whips and water and dark, closed spaces. Of the terrible black gloves that reached out for him at every turn when they caught him in the market and again when they ran from their crumbling household. 

A gentle hand appeared on Jared's shoulder. Nicky knelt down beside him, tears in her eyes matching his. He stopped speaking, breathing heavily, heart racing. 

“Our Masters would spare you the details of how we were treated,” the older breeder murmured, looking up at the Alpha, “because it is difficult for anyone who isn’t a breeder to comprehend. Even an omega wouldn’t know what a kennel is like, or a government facility, or the terror of a miscarriage and what that meant to us. Now we are here to start over—a privilege two out of many have— _with_ our Masters.”

From the dining room, their Masters looked on, with Dustin holding them back, allowing the breeders to speak without interruption. Jared could not look at Jensen for long; the pull between them hurt.  The Alpha glanced back and looked at his mate.

“They have told you their piece,” Dustin implored. “Perhaps you might share yours.”

For the first time, Jared noticed the Alpha’s guard lower. There was no doubt that if anything were to happen, the Alpha had sufficient reflexes to react. Still, the Alpha looked uneasy, supported only by the reassuring look provided by his mate.

“Stand up, please,” the Alpha murmured and stood back. “Omegas kneel to no one.”

Each breeder stood; Nicky slipped her hand into Jared’s as they listened to the Alpha speak.

“Before I became Alpha, I was an omega. I’m not from this Pride originally. I came here after escaping my abusive beta, seventeen years ago. And here… I found Dee… and I swore that no omega would ever go through what I have seen. No, you’re right, I wouldn’t know what being a breeder feels like. But I must emphasize to all of you—there are times when I didn’t know what was being done to me. I didn’t understand that the way I was being treated was wrong, inexcusable. And that is what worried me about the two of you. My beta charmed everyone he knew, so when I spoke up about what was going on, no one believed me. No one thought of him capable of it.” The Alpha told this with a tinge of sadness and audible anger. He looked at both breeders. “Sometimes the person you think should love you, doesn’t, and you can’t see it until it’s too late. I tried to leave once before I was successful,” he added softly, looking at the floor this time, unlike him. “What he did made me unable to have children. My own children now I have adopted, with Dee, but it took me a long time to cope with that, to see that omegas are more than our ability to give life. I hope you both understand that, or at least come to understand that in your time here.”

With another look towards Dustin, the Alpha shook his head and sighed. “There, Dee, that’s what you wanted. Excuse me, I’m going out. Thank you for… for speaking up. I’ll think about your requests.”

Again, the sound of the door caused both breeders to flinch. It was not slammed but it was shut firmly. Dustin moved towards it at once. “I’m glad you spoke up,” he said to Jared and Nicky with a tentative smile. “And he’ll be glad about it too, he just… that was a lot for him all at once, you know? Please, help yourselves to dinner. I’ll have some when I return. I’m sure you all understand why I need to follow after him.”

“Just be careful,” the Judge added, before Dustin was out.

“Of course, I haven’t survived seventeen years of Ilia being stupid,” he said with a small laugh. “Well, not completely. Thank you.” Jared did hear footsteps become softer, which signaled to him that Dustin had changed forms to go after his mate.

 

Their entire party looked at each other for a moment, standing in the kitchen.

Jared felt his breath come slow, tightness in his chest unwind, and excitement bloom in its place.

An omega as an Alpha? A breeder in a position of power?

What strange place had they come to?


	16. Looking Forward

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Alpha makes a decision that changes their stay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> short chapter with the start of smut. The next chapter won't have smut but hold on for tissues. /sniff/
> 
> chapter after that will have smut. sorry, but i thought the pacing of these chapters, making them small and right after another, worked best. <3
> 
> thank you for reading!

Jensen:

 

Their party was given two residences.

It was explained to them that omegas usually bedded and lived with each other, and that this kind of living arrangement was unorthodox but not unheard of.

He couldn’t tell anything else about their new residence because he slept for two days straight.

On the third day, he got up, took care of himself, and went back to bed, where that remarkable smile was waiting for him, dimples and all.

It was completely different and yet so much the same.

“Do you have something to look forward to after this?” was quietly whispered in the dark safety of their room, among warm blankets and on a soft mattress. Their fingers laced together and he pressed them flush against each other, shuddering when he felt raw hunger surge from his chest to his lips.

Bumping their noses, Jensen closed his eyes and thanked everything that was peaceful for this moment.

“The rest of our lives,” he replied firmly, then caught Jared’s mouth in a kiss.


	17. Wishes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Settling in while Jensen sleeps, Jared hopes for things he wants.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is a tiny chapter but omg i was... these aren't tears... /sniff/
> 
> writing happy things burns me. where is my angst?! (later...)
> 
> enjoy the fluff for now. 
> 
> <3

The more he spent noticing things, the more he learned about the new world around him.

While Jensen slept, Jared explored.

Their residence was no grand estate, which at first he thought might be difficult to adjust to, but proved wonderfully cozy. The largest room was theirs; he cleaned it thoroughly and painted the walls a fresh, light blue color. It had room enough for a large mattress, a small dresser, and a comfortable chair. Some of the omegas in residences surrounding them brought him rugs as gifts and he placed two of them in their room. The third rug, given to him by the Alpha, was placed in the second room.

It was a nursery.

He painted it yellow, proud of his work, pushing past grief and heartache and mourning. When it was done, he sat down to survey the room—with the lavender rug and whitewashed crib and rocking chair all perfectly placed. Tears fell as it all sank in. Omegas mated for life. There would be no second breeder, no threat of being sold or taken away. His children would have an opportunity here; he would have an opportunity with his children here. Morning would pass with little hands and feet climbing onto their bed, demanding breakfast and a story. Afternoons had possibilities of hide and seek, of climbing trees, of going for runs in the blue, thick grass that surrounded their residence. Nighttime would never mean loneliness ever again.

Folding some of the blankets near him, Jared hummed to himself.

There would be diapers and bottles and late night pleas to sleep. He pictured Jensen standing at the edge of the crib, exhausted like he was now, but happy and basking in the future he was always meant to have—in what they were always meant to share.

Before he left the room to continue on the rest of their residence, Jared made a few wishes.

One was for freckles.

He hoped their child had freckles.


	18. Worthwhile

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What Jensen looked forward to is granted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Specific warnings for this chapter include: explicit sex, anal sex, rimming, fingering, squirting, multiple orgasms, and Jensen's mouth. Proceed with caution.
> 
> There is also lots of fluff and schmoop and times to go, "awww!" 
> 
> This took quite an effort to write. I just couldn't get into the mood. FINALLY I was able to write and I hope y'all like this. 
> 
> I'm very happy with where this is all going. 
> 
> Thank you for reading! Leave me comments! <3

Their room was dark, with drapes Jared had hung covering the window, but the window itself had been left open. Moonlight dipped through and for the first time, as that familiar but missed tongue pushed into dampening heat, Jared felt this new moon. He could not explain it but his heartbeat aligned with its surges of power. Only a few times did he feel the process falter, blocked by a foreign, invisible force. He wondered if Nicky felt the same obstruction. Still, this moon’s presence was comforting and provided him something to reach out towards.

After a few minutes of tentative, cautious kissing and caressing, they were tangled up.

A breeder could only conceive if in heat, and Jared, although he felt hot and flushed all over, knew he was not. But that didn’t matter to Jensen; he wanted Jared for more than the chance to breed him. He wanted him because he wanted him—it was still something the young breeder was processing. Or hoped to at one point; he was thoroughly distracted.

Thighs spread, he felt himself slowly opened up from the inside out. He covered his face with one arm, and stretched, reaching out with another, grasping at the wall in the direction of the moon. A sweet breeze enhanced the smell of slick, rustled through the sheets. When he reached down a minute later and threaded his fingers in Jensen’s hair, he managed work his fingers in a languid massage, mimicking the patterns of Jensen’s tongue—perfectly rounded, broad circles that delved deeper with each rotation. For one brief moment he was shy about the amount of slick he felt himself push out, feeling his entrance opening and being stretched gently. He wasn’t sure what kind of body old Jared had had but he knew this had to be an adjustment for Jensen. Only breeders produced slick; there hadn’t seemed to be an issue before but it had been some time since they had been together.

“I can feel you tensing up,” Jensen murmured, taking his mouth off momentarily. He lifted his head to make eye contact with the young breeder. Jared couldn’t entirely meet his gaze; he was far too preoccupied with Jensen’s mouth. Pink lips were slightly swollen, glazed with slick, some of it running down his chin until he wiped it away, licking it off the back of his hand. Jared groaned, trying to cover his mouth before he became too loud. A careful hand appeared on his chin, thumb on Jared’s bottom lip. Without any thought, Jared licked it, tasting himself as he had never done before. The reaction from Jensen was a loud, nearly pained moan. “Fuck,” he hissed and pushed his thumb into Jared’s mouth. “Don’t be quiet, sweetheart. Not here. I wanna hear you.”

Wordlessly, he closed his thighs, trying to convey his worries.

With a lazy, easy smile, Jensen understood. His free hand rubbed Jared’s outer thighs, scratching lightly. “You taste good, Jay,” was all that was simply said, his voice low and rough. Before he started back up again, he bit three more marks on the breeder’s thighs, licking over and blowing on them. Kisses were given in amounts Jared had never experienced before Jensen, each without condition or hesitation. They built up rapidly in intensity, each one more desperate, hungrier, and less coordinated than the last. The trace and press of those lips was something Jared had not forgotten. He closed his eyes with a sigh, feeling Jensen move lower, three days of stubble scratching, leaving every nerve tingling. Jared sucked on the two fingers in his mouth, moaning when Jensen pressed in again, his tongue curling, pushing in the deepest yet. Jared felt slick build up and push out with a squelch as one thick finger was added alongside. He took Jensen’s fingers as far back into his mouth as he could and opened his legs more, shifting his hips, feeling the sheets begin to soak.

A breeder’s cock was never more than a vessel for milk; it was not treated as pleasure for either Master or breeder. In all the times old Master had demanded service he never once touched him there. So when Jensen wrapped his spit-slicked fingers and hand around it tightly, Jared cried out. Feeling hard and swollen there for nothing but his own satisfaction was remained new to him. Every swell of his cock was felt and held onto. He closed his eyes and focused on the firm grip his cock was pushed into and the tongue and finger that stretched him open. When Jensen pulled his tongue back and pressed his lips against the fluttering hole, sucking and applying pressure, Jared mewled a warning. Instead of slowing down, Jensen’s hand started stroking his cock, flicking the head in a rough but electric motion. He felt his orgasm build from his entrance and expand into his balls, push into his cock, and force itself through him.

There wasn’t enough time for his mouth to form any proper words. Jensen’s finger pressed at the edge of that spot inside him, teasing but just enough to feel it. His thighs and lower stomach clenched but he felt himself open up and slick gushed out at the same time that come and milk spurted all over his belly. After the first three spurts, Jensen didn’t stop stroking but he did pull his mouth and finger away.

Eyes wide and mouth open, Jared panted, hips working up to thrust into the still steady hand. His next warning was swallowed as Jensen pressed their mouths together in a crushing kiss. Jared came all over again, his cock milked to the last drop and the sheets underneath them drenched. He had never come so hard or so much, especially without a cock inside him. Trembling and slightly dizzy, he held onto Jensen’s shoulders, crying when two fingers slipped in and out of him without any resistance. He felt Jensen tense up, freeze with worry, and quickly he assured him the tears were only from gratitude. There was no pain here; only pleasure he was still learning how to accept, currents of electricity he was still unable to comprehend were only for him to feel good.  

Reassured, the fingers continued until three worked him open and Jared whimpered, scratching at Jensen’s back. Expert fingers crooked inside him and applied steady, rhythmic pressure against his inner walls. It caused Jared to wriggle and push his hips up, trying to feel more. He needed to be filled, craved to have his hips pounded into their mattress, to feel the drag of the thick, red cock that hung heavily between Jensen’s legs, twitching every time Jared made a noise. The want to be bred and possessed and owned surged through him, becoming a dire need. This was his Master—his Jensen—to whom in turn her belonged to, not as just a breeder, but as a partner.

Deep kisses were had as Jensen pulled his fingers out. In a movement that was quick and barely noticeable, he laid down a blanket underneath them. For the moment they were dry again, until he laid Jared flat, opened his legs, pushed his hips up and pressed the head of his cock against Jared’s entrance. He pushed the head in, gripping himself with his right hand, holding up Jared’s right thigh with his left. In and out the head slipped, until Jared was sticky and wet again. In a haze, Jared begged, at first whispering but quickly raising his voice, pleading for another inch, for the entire length of Jensen’s cock, for Jensen to be seated balls deep and fucking him already.

Jensen smirked, kneeling comfortably. “Jay, what a dirty mouth.”

Of course Jared blushed; then he swatted at Jensen’s face, closing his legs. This made Jensen laugh and lean down for another kiss, this one sweeter and slower than before.

That drawl appeared, rumbling low. “I’ll take care of you sweetheart, I promise.”

And there was every confidence that Jensen would keep his word.

Their cocks bumped and ground together, both of them hard, as their kisses deepened. Jared’s wrists were pushed and held above his head; he breathed in deeply, their scents mixing, freckles above him for miles as he stretched out underneath. The hand let go but trailed all over his body, feeling, groping, pressing down on his hip bones, squeezing under him, holding him open and lifting him up.

They were just getting started.

Twisting, tossing his head back, Jared keened when he felt his hips pulled into Jensen’s lap, held up, driven forward until there it was—that burn. That deep, satisfying drag as he opened up to the push of Jensen’s hard cock. He felt the flutter of his entrance adjusting, pulling Jensen in, and the throb of his own cock responding to the need of being filled. Breathing in and out, Jared held onto the sheets around him, then reached over and placed his hands on top of Jensen’s, which were on his hips, holding him up.

Jared held eye contact with every push, until Jensen was completely buried. He could not help the full body tremble that occurred when Jensen placed a palm on his lower stomach and pressed down, groaning as he felt his cock twitch inside.

Whimpering and quivering, heart already racing, Jared pushed his hips forward. He didn’t need much time to adjust; he was all too ready.

A drop of sweat fell from Jensen’s forehead and he bit down on his thick bottom lip, hissing when he leaned forward. As he pushed, he held Jared’s ankles and spread them out so that his legs formed a v-shape, resting on Jensen’s shoulders. The breeder gasped and pushed up, letting out a long, loud moan.

“Deep,” Jared gasped, his eyes rolling back. “So deep.”

“Uh…huh…” Jensen panted, squeezing his eyes shut. “Fuck, you’re tight.” Their hips tilted—Jensen’s forward and Jared’s backwards—until Jared was seeing sparks of color at the corner of his eyes. Clawing at the wall behind him, he cried out for Jensen to start _moving_. The fat head of Jensen’s cock was pressing against something inside Jared that he didn’t know existed; it felt ten times better than the spot Jensen usually hit, more like a great pressure was building and pressing it made it grow.

Slick pushed out and Jensen’s hips stuttered. He finally started moving, biting down on the back of his left hand while the right one pumped Jared’s leaking cock. They didn’t separate for a second. Every deep breath that Jared took meant he felt Jensen more, every throb and swell. For a few seconds, when Jensen pulled halfway out before driving back in, Jared saw Jensen’s cock—covered in slick, flushed a deep red, thicker and harder than he remembered it.

Once more his ankles were grabbed and his legs were spread, this time as far as his legs could open. When his legs shifted his hips also moved, which caused them both to moan, each feeling the other move. Jensen’s thrusts became more forceful and Jared pleaded for faster, deeper, harder, _please_.

A crest of pressure surfaced inside him, that secret place repeatedly pounded against, slick dripping in steady deluges.

The tip of Jared’s cock was wrapped in Jensen’s right hand, the underside rubbed and a finger flicking the tip as milk started to release. Jared couldn’t stop it, he felt his orgasm rise and build and happen completely differently.

“Jensen!” he cried out, body seizing, ass clenching, nails digging into the wall. He opened his mouth and let out a shout. Both his cock and his entrance twitched. “Pull out, pull out!” he begged, bucking and twisting so Jensen would listen. He thought that was the end of it but something hurt, then it felt incredible as soon as Jensen slipped out. Jared reached down and pumped his own cock, something he would be in awe at later, and kept doing the same motion Jensen had, furiously working until a surge of clear liquid squirted from the tip and his entrance.

“Ooh!” Jared squealed when he felt Jensen’s cock push back in suddenly and with force. In one firm push he was in, just as deep as before, pounding against the bubble. Jared felt his entrance flutter again and his face scrunched up again, mouth opening wide. He tossed his head back and cried out once more, his heart pounding and vivid colors in the corners of his eyes. “Pull out! Oh please, pull out! Pull out! Nnn!” Again, as soon as Jensen’s cock slid out, he came in the same way, this time all over Jensen’s cock and thighs, the mess of it dripping.

“More, more, please more,” Jared begged even though he was struggling to catch his breath, fighting with worry. “Jensen!”

The tip of his cock was pinched between two of Jensen’s fingers, worked, and teased, flickering, until Jensen slid back in. This time Jared’s back and hips were on the mattress, his legs wrapped around Jensen’s waist. Leaning down, Jensen kissed him, panting and sweating and trembling just as hard as Jared was.

“One more time baby,” Jensen panted, his mouth around one of Jared’s nipples. “Come for me one more time.”

The mattress, which had been quiet before, was squeaking and rocking with the force of Jensen’s thrusts. Jared reached up and wrapped his arms around Jensen’s neck, pulling them close. When Jensen commanded him to take a deep breath, he did it implicitly. Every muscle wound up and then relaxed. He could hear the slap of Jensen’s balls against his ass and every thrust of his cock.

What pushed them both over the edge was Jensen’s palm flat on Jared’s lower stomach, underneath Jared’s cock, pushing down and exerting pressure from both sides of the bubble. Jared felt himself come again, though this time was weaker and he did not beg Jensen to pull out, instead, he hung on tightly, reached down, placing a cautious hand on Jensen’s ass, pulling him in closer, and hoping to signal him to stay inside.

They came within seconds of each other, Jensen first. Pulse after pulse of come filled Jared and he moaned at the feeling. Their foreheads bumped together and Jensen cried out, shoulders quaking. One, two, three firm thrusts later and Jared came again, most of the spray coming out of his cock, soaking them again. His toes curled and his breath was knocked out of his chest.

It was several minutes before Jared could move.

Jensen collapsed on top of him and pulled out a minute later; easing out as he always did, giving the breeder time to adjust to the loss. When a mischievous hand reached towards Jared’s cock, Jared swatted it away.

“A break, please,” Jared groaned, covering his face once more as embarrassment set in. “I… I’m sorry… I… I didn’t know…”

“Hey, don’t. Don’t feel sorry, sweetheart.” Jensen’s voice was completely shot but still audible. “I… I thought you might be able to do that and… uh… I’m really glad you can. It’s… it’s fucking hot. I’m also kind of jealous.”

Jared peeked out from his hands. “You’re soaked.”

“Damn right,” Jensen sighed happily and closed his eyes. “I didn’t know you could come so hard.”

“Me neither,” the breeder admitted shyly. “Is it milk?”

They both looked down at the mess around them. Jensen slowly sat up. “No. It’s kind of like come. You’re fine, Jay. Don’t worry about the clean up. I’ll take care of you, remember?”

Fatigue pressed insistently and Jared simply nodded. He felt like all his energy had been squeezed from him in the most delicious way. Boneless and limp, he did not protest as Jensen lifted him up, set him in the chair, and stripped their bed. He made some kind of jest about rubber sheets but Jared didn’t understand it. Sleepily, he watched Jensen toss the messy bed clothes aside and cover the mattress with two fresh blankets. Not a word of protest was given when he was lifted once more and set down again, covered up and held close. Their bed was warm and smelled like them, something Jared had missed terribly in all his nights at their previous household and in all his nights at the Alpha’s house.

Gentle fingers carded through his sweaty hair. They were both a mess.

A kiss was placed on the tip of his nose and the covers were pulled up. Jared closed his eyes and sighed. Again tangled in each other, he held onto Jensen tightly, fingers in tawny hair. It had been worth the wait.

He fell asleep to a song that was barely there, whispered in a scratchy voice, but still so clear.

“Hush now, hush now, it will be alright. Wait for the morning, it will be there. Hang on, hang on now, tight to this prayer. Rising of the sun, burn away my sorrow… fill in every part of my heart that is hollow...”

 

Jared knew the next words.

The moon settled.


	19. Teenagers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jared meets someone else in the Pride.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No specific warnings for this chapter.
> 
> This is so much fun. XD
> 
> Mioh can be pronounced both ways: mee-oh or my-oh. It's a play on a song "Jambalaya."

The next day, Jared was summoned to the Alpha’s residence by a beta named Madison. She spoke kindly to him when he answered the door; Jensen had left at dawn to see what his duties were. The matter of what Jared would do was not up to Jensen, though they would discuss whatever options the Alpha and the rest of the omegas presented.

“Is Nicky up?” Jared asked as they walked on the lane. He glanced towards her residence, which was next to his, something he was thankful for. He had questions for her later, when they could be afforded privacy.

“I think so, well, I hope so,” the beta replied, walking alongside him. “I mean, if she’s not awake, that’s a lot of movement on a mattress for someone being asleep.”

Jared couldn’t help but laugh. So she finally got her chance.

He wondered what the Judge was like at service. He hoped he took every care that Jensen did, though it had taken some time for Jensen to learn how. And now, Jensen seemed to know him so well that he was showing the young breeder things about himself he hadn’t known. Though he was a little sore.

Dressed in the same soft trousers and shirt as before, Jared walked barefoot. It was refreshing to be out of slippers for a while. He had taken a long bath that morning, after Jensen had left, and had taken his time dressing and tidying up. They would have dinner at Nicky’s residence that evening, and the group would discuss how to move forward from here. Jared was looking forward to the dinner for that reason but also to ask Jeff what he intended to do. His time travel license had not been taken away—he was not banned from his origin world as Jensen and the Judge were. He had no real reason to stay, and the thought made Jared sad, but he wanted Jeff to be happy. His brother had been as determined to assure Jared’s safety as Jensen had, in his own way.

Escorted to the Alpha’s, the young breeder thanked Madison and she nodded.

The Alpha opened the door, Suya in his arms, blissfully asleep, paws outstretched and tail twitching. “Well, good afternoon,” the Alpha greeted with a smile. “Come in, let’s sit in the dining room. I have someone I’d like you to meet.”

“Can I hold him?” Jared asked as he followed the Alpha inside. The residence was much the same as it had been before.

“I would say yes but I want you to go out.” The Alpha motioned for him to sit down. “Have you had breakfast? I asked a few omegas to see that your fridge was full.” Jared took a place at the dining room table and shook his head no, he had not. The icebox was indeed filled with delicious looking things but he hadn’t felt very hungry that morning. “Don’t skip meals if you can help it,” the Alpha murmured, shifting the sleeping kitten from one shoulder to the other. “I’ll fix you something now, you’ll need something in you for your tour around the grounds today.”

“A tour?” Jared asked, holding out his arms and receiving the kitten passed to him. He held Suya close to his chest and scratched behind the kitten’s right ear, thrilled to hear him purr.

The Alpha spoke from the kitchen, where he could also hear dishes being unwrapped. “Yes. Today I hope to have you more familiar with our Pride. The layout is a large circle but for your own safety, I need you to be familiar with the outskirts. You’ll see the gardens, the field, the play area for the kittens. I’m needed at the pier today—and to speak with your brother—so I’m sending you with a beta patrol and my oldest. He’s your age, actually, though I think you’re much more mature. He should have been here by now, that boy is worse at keeping time than he is at staying clean.”

Jared recalled the cat he had seen the Alpha holding once, when he was looking after Suya. The larger cat had the same rounded ears as Suya, but a thicker, lighter coat with no stripes or spots, except for the three rings on its tail. It also had much larger teeth.

A plate of toast and thin slices of meat was placed in front of Jared. It smelled delicious; he hadn’t realized how hungry he had been. The Alpha took Suya from him, urging him to eat while it was still hot. Halfway done with his meal, the back door opened and shut. In walked in a near copy of the Alpha. The eldest son was Nicky’s height, with wavy, dark brown hair that was swept to the side, falling just under his chin. He had Dustin’s clear blue eyes and the Alpha’s fine features. His body was just as elegant as the Alpha’s, with curves Jared knew exactly which robe ties would accentuate. He also wore boots with heels like the Alpha, though for all his elegance, seemed not as steady on them as the Alpha did.

“You’re late,” the Alpha snapped.

“Mom, I’m ten minutes late. No one died,” the son replied, looking at Jared. “Well, _you’re_ pretty.”

The young breeder blushed.

“I hope you behave yourself around our guest,” the Alpha sighed. “Jared, this is my son, Mioh. Mioh, this is Jared. You are to show him the grounds around the Pride and nothing else. I don’t want you straying, do I make myself clear?” The last part was said as Alpha, not as parent.

“Yes Alpha,” Mioh said respectfully, bowing his head. “Back by sundown, like you said before.”

With a nod, the Alpha walked towards the living room. “I’m leaving Suya with Ms. Deb. If you need me I’ll be at the main Pier, then at the second Doctor office. Take it easy on Jared, Mioh, he needs to rest. Remember our conversation. Jared, have fun today. Nicky will take the same tour in a little while.”

As soon as the Alpha left, Mioh sat down across from Jared, a smirk on his face.

“So,” he started to say, “you look… well-rested.”

Unsure of how to answer on this comment, Jared paused to take a sip of juice. He answered softly, “I slept well, thank you.”

The smirk only broadened. “That’s not what I meant. I mean, you look _well-rested_.”

“I… I don’t understand?”

Leaning in, Mioh’s blue eyes shone. “You look like you’ve been very, very well fucked.”

It was a bad idea to drink juice around Mioh. Jared spit out the sip he had been taking, coughing and sputtering. He blushed harder than before, and had no idea how to respond to the question asked next.

“Tell me what it’s like?”


	20. Dressed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jared spends time with Mioh, preparing to get ready for their tour.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so sleepy. more later. <3

Fast talking Mioh decided that Jared’s current outfit was not appropriate for their outing.

And that was how Jared found himself dressed in something called jeans.

“They are very… tight…” he declared, face scrunching in discomfort. The material felt rough and restricting. Robes were worn for their ease of access—if and when his Master wanted him, Jared was never more than a flap of fabric away—as well as their status. All of the trousers and shirts he had so far worn had been two times his size so he felt roomy and comfortable. It was his favorite thing to do to hide his hands in his sleeves or slip into and not worry. These jeans seemed to require some manipulation to squeeze into. He could not imagine wearing such clothing while carrying a litter.

Presently, he was seated on a chair in the teenager’s room. Teenager was what residents of Jared’s age group called themselves. Adulthood started at seventeen, which placed him and Nicky in entirely different groups. He was unsure of what to think about that. A breeder had either been able to carry or not—young or old—and that was all that mattered. A breeder’s priced changed according to age but that was less their business and more their Masters’.

“You’ll get used to them. We’re practically the same size anyway,” Mioh assured him and continued applying makeup to Jared’s face. “This eyeliner looks killer on you.” Various pots of makeup were strewn about everywhere and it seemed that no surface in Mioh’s room was spared an application of glitter. Jared assumed that makeup here was not as treasured and significant as it had been in Meridian or Lee. He was glad to see that there was no gold powder; it had been, after all, very itchy. There were many things in this world that were similar, but Jared did not want to take a chance and assume that all things were.

As Jared sat—still as possible—he noticed a few other things about the young omega in front of him. Mioh’s nails were painted a dark violet shade, slick and shiny looking. He also wore an earring in his left ear, but not the right, and had various metal chains looped loosely around his hips. They created a pleasant jingle whenever Mioh moved, but Jared wondered their purpose.

“Can you wear heels?” Mioh asked, brushing Jared’s hair, sweeping it to the side as his was.

“I… I have never tried,” the young breeder replied honestly. Slippers were the only shoes ever provided to him and more often than not he had worn the same pair until they were little more than holes.

“Well, I’ve got some three inchers you can practice on. We’ll work you up to six inch stilettos in no time. You have really nice hair. I got my mom’s thick hair. Sometimes in the summer it’s a total mess; I think I lost a pen in there. Still haven’t found it.”

As Mioh looked around for a clip, Jared found a moment to ask a question of his own. “Your mother is the Alpha?”

The teenager laughed as he slid a clip into Jared’s hair then brushed over it so it was partially concealed. “Yes and no. Man, you really haven’t been in the omega den. You’d have heard _all_ the gossip by now.” A pair of black boots with thick heels were set down on the floor. Mioh sat across from Jared and helped him place them on, tying up the laces carefully as he spoke. “My mom was black, my dad’s white. The Alpha is Afro-Latino. You know, black and Latino. Well, okay, I guess you wouldn’t know but anyway… My parents were born here, right? Grew up in the Pride and were childhood sweethearts and all that mushy stuff. Well, then this new cat walks in, yeah? This cat was obviously in bad shape, especially for an omega, and my mom took care of him. They were best friends, this new cat and her, and happened to look a lot like each other. People called ‘em twins. And of course she introduces the new cat to her boyfriend and bam! They’re all friends. But a year into the new cat living here my mom… well, she died.”

There was a pause and Mioh sighed. He stood up and looked at Jared. “It wasn’t anything tragic, at least that’s what they tell me. She gave birth to me and two months later she got sick. Like, really sick. So sick that my dad couldn’t do anything about it. Well, my dad was really broken up about it and not in any shape to look after a kitten, so the new cat stepped in, along with Ms. Deb. You jump ahead three years and on my third birthday Dustin and Ilia announced their relationship to the Pride. I don’t really remember it but everyone was super happy. Stand up.”

Glad to stretch, Jared did. However, he wobbled and nearly toppled over. Mioh placed gentle hands on Jared’s shoulders, steadying him, looking down at Jared’s feet. The boots felt even more restricting than the jeans but they did serve a purpose, he supposed. “Put most of your weight on the tip of your feet. There you go. You’ll wobble, you might fall once or twice, but don’t worry.” Happy blue eyes looked at him. “You’ll get back up again.”

A full-length mirror was presented to him and Jared hardly recognized the person in the reflection.

“So, the Alpha isn’t my blood mother but he’s still my mom and he can still kick my ass if we’re not back on time. Let’s go! There’s lots to see. Cute boys included,” Mioh announced with a wink at the end. “I got a couple I have my sights set on but I’ll let you have a pick at them too. Oh, they’re gonna love you and that perky ass.”

Jared was very grateful he was not drinking juice at that moment. 


	21. Fishing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jensen is introduced to his new job in the Pride.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter makes me sad a little. ;-; 
> 
> and yet also happy. 
> 
> trying to get this fic to 50k but i'm not sure it's going to happen by the end of this week. :/

Jensen:

It was kind of funny to remember this memory, at least in Jensen’s opinion.

“You wanna go fishing?”

“Fishing? Dude, we’re in space.”

“Your lack of imagination does not surprise me, Jensen Ackles. C’mon, get your grumpy ass out of bed.”

“I _like_ bed and _you_ like my grumpy ass,” he had grumbled, hiding himself in a cocoon of surely impenetrable blankets. “Go away, it’s our only day off and I wanna sleep.”

“No, you wanna sleep, then fuck, then whine at me to get you food,” Jared had corrected him, already up and fishing around for clothes in their tiny bunker.

“And what’s so bad about that?”

A tell-tale huff was heard. “Jenny, I exist as more than your pleasurable fuck on your days off.”

He peeked out of the blankets, eyes narrowed. “Don’t do that, Jay,” he warned and Jared rolled his eyes.

“Fine. See you later.”

It took two minutes for Jensen to scramble after him, cursing and muttering, but dressed and somewhat awake. Their marriage had gotten off to an okay start—with only a few arguments here and there—but ever since Jensen found out Jeff’s idiotic attempt to convince his brother not to marry him, there’d been a little more tension than usual. Jared came from a large family with old fashioned values; Jared running around space on somewhat risky missions alongside a Captain who had more luck at emptying bottles of booze than winning fleet awards was not their picture of a happily ever after. They didn’t seem to think that Jensen’s idea of a birthday present—two six-packs of Jared’s favorite microbrew, Jared’s favorite action movies, and an extra-large pizza with extra meat from the really good hole-in-the-wall three planets out—was acceptable. Jensen had splurged one year and bought Jared a really good, very expensive watch, but it wasn’t busted—because hey, Jensen at least knew quality watches—so he didn’t understand why he should buy another one. They didn’t have the money for a fancy watch every year and that was that.

Jensen had been saving, anyway.

And what he wanted cost a lot more than some watch that told time in two different solar systems.

“Diapers are expensive,” Jensen murmured, putting on his suit.

“Yes they are, so you better not go incontinent before me,” Jared replied, already dressed. “Your helmet is on weird.”

“It is not. And I totally will go incontinent before you, I’m older. You’re the schmuck stuck changing my diapers and wiping my butt.” As Jensen said this, Jared was busy adjusting his helmet, which was on a little weird. He watched Jared’s long, elegant fingers snap the fastenings shut properly.

They looked at each other for a moment. Jensen wondered—at that moment—how many moments they’d had like that and if he would ever find out. Millions, maybe.

Smirking, Jared quipped, “I’m marrying for money next time, Jensen.”

“Huh,” Jensen grunted, returning the smirk. “We’d be plenty rich if you let me get into the stripping business like I wanted. You could too—we could be a set. Strippers in space. Remember the gaggle of teenagers on Venus? Yeah you do.”

The door opened. Their portion of space—limitless and open—spread out before them and it didn’t bother either of them one bit. All of their equipment was top-notch and they had sat on the top of the ship before probably as many times as Jensen had helmed one. Their suits were lightweight and attached by magnets in the ship’s core, so they moved fluidly and without anything to hinder them.

“Okay, so I don’t see any floating space fish,” Jensen announced as they settled on the top. They had taken a small pod from the main ship and flown out far enough that they were alone. “Hey, when’s the next time mission?”

Jared was taking something the size and shape of a pen out of his suit and extending it until it was about three feet long. “Patience, Jen. I’m not sure. I don’t really like the world they’re going to in the next few rounds.” It was odd for Jared to turn down any opportunity to see another new universe. Still, he focused on the pen, which turned into a rod with a magnet attached to the bottom of it. Jensen waited for an explanation and it came a moment later. “Some of these worlds… they frighten me, Jen. They’re not at all like ours or the ones we’ve seen, which have at least a few similarities. We might be poor but we’re not… we’re not slaves.”

“You’d make a piss poor slave anyway,” Jensen muttered jokingly. “You’re too stubborn.”

The small, watery smile that was given had Jensen concerned. “Sometimes stubbornness is all that keeps you alive.” A second rod was assembled and passed over. Jensen took it but nudged Jared at the same time.

“Jay? Something you’re not telling me?”

There was too much silence there. He should have pressed further.

“No, Jen. Don’t worry. Now, let’s see what a shitty fisherman you are.”

 

The entire afternoon had been spent fishing for space junk.

They pulled two miniature satellites and, remarkably, a shoe.

 

“You have any experience fishing?”

“Uh, some.”

“Yeah? Like what? Perch? Catfish? Bass?”

“Uh… satellites. Sometimes wrenches. Twice we got shoes.”

“Alpha? You tryin’ to saddle me with a greenhorn and you ain’t got the sense to tell me beforehand?”

The Alpha rolled his eyes. “Gannon, try to be hospitable for once. Jensen was the Captain of an entire ship. I’m sure you can teach him how to fish.”

Gannon was the beta on duty when Jensen showed up. The two mile walk from the community to the pier had taken him a while but he’d spent it reminiscing. When he showed up, Gannon had been chewing out a younger beta for something. He was a slightly lanky individual, an inch shorter than Jensen, with long black hair tied back in a messy ponytail. His uniform seemed to be dirty, ratty jeans and a red handkerchief in his back pocket. Fishing seemed to suit him.

“What kind of Captain fishes shoes?” Gannon asked, leaning into Jensen, eyes narrowed.

Jensen shrugged. “Space Captain.”

“Space Captain? You fuckin’ me?”

The Alpha sighed and looked at Jensen. For being in the middle of the lake, the Alpha never faltered in his stance, even on those heels. Neither did Gannon and he was barefoot. Jensen wobbled and held onto the railing. “If you can stand working with Gannon, you’ll be able to work the pier. If this isn’t a job that suits you, we can try something else. Though I think I will be handing off the Doctor position to Jeff, if that is suitable to you.”

“You askin’ him?” Gannon murmured, messing with a tackle box.

“One of the most necessary points of a leader is to know when to ask for opinions,” the Alpha declared, confident and sharp. “And also when to say shut the fuck up, it’s none of your business, Gannon.”

There was still a small, playful smile from Gannon, suggesting no hard feelings and a history of such remarks. Jensen answered that he thought Jeff would be better suited for the position anyway; as ship Captain he was certified to an extent but medicine was truly not his specialty, nor was surgery. It had been a stroke of luck that he hadn’t been asked to do anything more complicated than a delivery in Meridian or Lee. Any surgery he was able to send people to a surgeon and most Masters hadn’t wanted to spend the extra money on their breeders. This thought angered him, he felt his muscles tensing. Suddenly he missed Jared.

“You should be mated,” the Alpha advised Jensen. “The process is not difficult.”

“Here, work while y’all gossip.” Gannon passed Jensen a fishing rod with bait already attached. Gannon had explained before that most of the fishing for the Pride was simple. They aimed to get enough to feed the Pride and no more—overfishing would damage the lake long term and render it unusable for future generations. Certain spots yielded more fish than others but as long as they were back to shore by sundown there wasn’t much of a rush. Most of the Pride fed on venison, wild turkey, quail, and rabbits.

Holding his fishing rod and trying to focus on the Alpha’s voice, Jensen listened. “Mates in a Pride come before the Alpha and pledge their commitment to each other. Then, in a separate ceremony, they exchange vows and a promise of an eternal bond in front of the entire Pride, where a blessing is given.”

“Eternal bond,” Gannon grumbled, lighting up another cigarette.

The Alpha shot him a look and the beta shuffled over to the other end of the boat. “Anyway, the fun part comes after; you join together and take on each other’s scents. All omegas will know you are his beta and all betas will know he is your omega. That bond is unbreakable.”

Considering what they had been through already, Jensen didn’t see the point of another ceremony. Hell, he hadn’t needed a wedding to know how he felt about Jared and he knew Jared had liked the idea of a wedding but at the end of the day, it wasn’t about the event, it was about them. But this wasn’t his territory and they weren’t those people…anymore. The world he’d come from had been all about ceremony and rules; eating dinner at someone’s house involved hours of preparation and work. Yet the longer he thought about it, the more he figured that something like this would please Jared. It would make him feel special and that was alright with Jensen.

Smirking at Jensen and Gannon, the Alpha commanded, “Take me back to shore.”

“What? Does the mention of love melt your cold, dead heart, Alpha?”

“Gannon, I have two threads of patience left before my heel meets your crotch.”

“The person you should feel sorry for, newbie,” Gannon informed him, “is Dustin.”

Jensen's not entirely sure what happened, but suddenly, Gannon’s cigarette was ripped from his mouth and the entire pack was tossed into the water. 


	22. Addition

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mioh takes Jared on a tour, where he learns more than the layout of the land.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> quick update from work (sneaky!). more later!

Breeders loved chocolate.

There wasn’t any exact explanation for why, but it was given to them as a reward. Doled out in tiny pieces, Jared had always tried to hoard his at old Master’s household. Sometimes the pieces would be thrown at him and sometimes they would be handed to him. But he was always grateful.

It seemed almost impossible that chocolate here, in this new place, was given out to anyone who wanted it. All they had to do was ask. Rather, all Mioh had to do was ask, but Jared still received his portion. The ice cream was delicious; the warm day made it melt rapidly but the young breeder licked away at it to keep it from dripping everywhere. His cast made him clumsier than usual but he managed to hold onto the treat until he finished.

While they walked through the Pride, Mioh commented on a few people, answered a few questions.

“The play area is a section of field for kittens and cubs. There are always two beta and four omega on guard when the play area is open. You can toss kittens in there from dawn to dusk. Mom doesn’t like anyone out after sundown, if you couldn’t tell. Ms. Deb does a shift every day. That’s her, over there. You’ll meet her later; if I let her see you she’ll talk your ear off and we’re already behind schedule. How was your ice cream? Ms. Joan makes the best but she usually only makes vanilla so we got lucky today. Hey, you don’t talk much, do you?”

Ms. Deb was a formidable figure, with broad shoulders, bright blond hair, perpetually rosy skin, and a boisterous laugh. She seemed to enjoy being surrounded by dozens of kittens and babies, all in various forms and all of them making good use of the field. There was one swing set and a sandbox, along with other objects available just for them to play with.

“No,” Jared replied simply. “But my ice cream was delicious, thank you sir.” Jared regretted the last bit but could not take it back.

 Mioh looked at him strangely, then shrugged. “My mom told me you came from a tough place. That bad, huh?”

The lane they walked was smooth, though the heels were still questionable. “It was… an experience,” Jared eventually replied, trying to think of the most appropriate answer. He wasn’t sure how much Mioh had been exposed to but if he had not yet serviced anyone—and it didn’t seem like there was physical punishment here—then Jared assumed he was relatively innocent about the world. Although Jared had serviced many Masters and officials and he knew what it was like to carry, he knew he was also very inexperienced. He often relied on Nicky for guidance; he wished her there at the moment.

“Were there not others to accompany us?” Jared asked. They were walking further out, past the play area and towards the forest. He thought the Alpha had said there would be beta patrols with them.

“Yeah, they’re keeping their distance,” Mioh responded with a shrug. “I told them to hang back. Denny and Darcy need camo practice anyway. Bet you can’t see them.”

Looking around, Jared admitted that he could not spot anyone following them. Mioh explained that all cats were trained hunters, in case something should happen and they were separated from the Pride, they all knew how to survive. He also went onto explain that omegas their age usually helped out in the field and gardens, if they didn’t want to hunt. “Not all omegas like to hunt but all omegas want to provide for their families. I like hunting. But you don’t have to do that. Alpha says you’re good with Suya, maybe you’ll help out Ms. Deb.”

The tree line was two miles out from the outskirts of the Pride. The walk was not difficult and Jared adapted to his shoes. He could walk ten times as much and not be exhausted, though admittedly he much preferred this distance.

“We own lots of this forest but not all of it,” Mioh stated, swinging from a low tree branch. “It’s clearly marked where our borders are. Betas are taken to Driskill Mountain for their test but you don’t have to know much about that. Hey, you okay?”

“Fine,” Jared answered quickly, not wanting to upset his host. “Your property is beautiful.”

Indeed it was. Tall, majestic trees surrounded them, watching over, with thick green canopies. The forest itself was very peaceful, with the sound of birds and rabbits rustling, sunlight in abundance. Of course the air was crisp and clear. Flowers bloomed along the ground and he spotted some that looked somewhat familiar. He even saw wild mushrooms that might be good in a soup if they were alright to eat.

There were no clearings, no open spaces where a grave might rest.

“Where do you bury your dead?”

The question was necessary. Jared needed to know.

“Uhh… wow, you skip right past to the heavy parts, huh?” Mioh climbed another tree, moving gracefully and with ease, his metal chains clanging. “Most people my age wanna know what shade nail polish I use or how I style my hair, not where dead people are.”

Jared’s good hand went to his belly. “You do not have to answer, I apologize,” he said, keeping his head down.

A pause of silence passed, broken by a sigh from Mioh, who hung upside down. “We don’t bury them. We aren’t the only predators out here. There are wolves but they aren’t weres so they don’t know any better if they find a body.”

The thought of a wild animal finding his child caused him to feel ill.

“Hey,” Mioh said softly. “Did you lose someone?”

Although he knew it was better to keep his experiences to himself, Jared couldn’t help but nod.

“Family?”

“My child.”

Without a sound, Mioh flipped upright on the tree, peering down at Jared. “You? You’ve had a kid? I… I’m sorry.”

“I’ve had seven,” Jared mumbled, leaning against the tree to steady himself. He felt his stomach roll unpleasantly. “We have pups in litters and children in smaller numbers. Forgive me, I… I don’t feel well.”

“Climb up here and we’ll rest. Here, I’ll help you up.”

Just as Jared was looking up, an unfamiliar voice shouted, “Mioh!” The young cat froze and looked towards the sound, which came from a previously unseen figure that stepped out from its hiding place. Someone who looked similar to the Judge appeared, only, with sandy colored hair, dressed in jeans and a white shirt. They looked to Mioh then to Jared, then back at Mioh.

“That’s not a good idea,” the stranger insisted. “Get down and stick to your duties. You still have the field and gardens to show him.”

“I’m not even that high up!” Mioh shot back with a pout. “C’mon Denny, don’t be such a drag.”

“That isn’t the point, Mioh,” the older cat replied with a growl. “It’s not appropriate. You should get back sooner instead of later anyway.”

Muttering under his breath, Mioh took his time getting down, landing next to Jared. “That’s Denny,” Mioh grumbled. “He has a nice ass but his personality is messed up. Like some kind of freakish experiment gone horribly wrong.”

“Mioh!”

“Yeah, yeah, we’re walking!” Mioh snapped and resumed walking. Jared continued to follow, though he turned to look at Denny and could not see him. “Anyway, uh, we don’t… well, my mom won’t let me find a mate until I’m fifteen. We usually don’t give birth until we’re sixteen. Oh, and we cremate people. The ashes stay with the family of the cat.”

It was a while before their conversation turned to happier subjects, but Jared did feel his anxiety lower.

There were no mass graves here.

 

Just as the Alpha had said, the layout of the Pride followed a basic circle. And although he was often distracted, Mioh was patient in showing nearly every single site to Jared and explaining their set up. The sun was lower and Mioh complained about having to go back so early but he did invite Jared to… hang out… and Jared made a note to ask Jensen what that meant later on.

Back in the center of the Pride, near the fire pit, which was large and spacious, Jared saw the Alpha making his way towards them.

He looked upset.

Jared immediately tensed.

Something was wrong.

 

“I got word from a few betas,” the Alpha murmured quickly, pulling Jared aside, speaking low. “And smelling you confirms it. How can this be?”

“How can what be, sir?” Jared asked, his anxiety rising. “Where is Jensen?”

The Alpha’s eyes flashed. “I’ve sent for him. Don’t tell me you don’t feel it? You don’t know?”

Lost for words, Jared kept his head down in respect. “Please,” he begged, “if something has happened or if I have done something, let me know it, sir.”

It was rare to see doubt on the Alpha’s face, and though he quickly masked it, Jared saw it. The Alpha leaned in so that their conversation was private. “It is your responsibility to tell your mate but I will tell you. Your biology is not drastically different from ours but… it was explained to me that you can only be bred in heat.”

“That is true,” Jared replied. “Why?”

The Alpha looked almost sad.

“You’re pregnant.” 


	23. Catch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jensen spends time with Gannon, fitting into his new job.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I... I'm not crying... these aren't tears... ;w;
> 
> No specific warning except for schmoop and happy feels.
> 
> Thank you for reading! Comments are <3.

Jensen:

At the end of their day, Gannon declared that for a greenhorn, Jensen hadn’t done half bad. Cutting out the fish guts and cleaning the fish hadn’t been easy or enjoyable, but it was honest work and Jensen worked well alongside Gannon. The beta didn’t speak a lot but he was patient and kept an eye on Jensen, anticipating questions. When they got the hang of working together—neither one a big talker—Jensen asked a few more questions, particularly about what the omegas did.

“Depends on the omega’s preference,” Gannon commented, cigarette dangling from his mouth. He was beginning to sun burn, making his skin red, but he didn’t seem to mind so Jensen didn’t comment. They were packaging the cleaned fish for refridgeration but most of it would be used that night. Not all the fish had to be cleaned—some preferred to eat it in their cat forms—but they worked quickly. “There’s always work to be done, long as it’s done by nightfall, ain’t no problems. Some hunt, others take care of the grounds with the betas. There’s washing, plowing, quilting, tending to the fields, cooking, home-repair, what have you.”

“You have two cars for the entire Pride and two paved roads, plus electricity and running water,” Jensen noted. “What keeps you from upgrading all of that?”

Gannon peered up at Jensen and paused his work. “We like it this way. Folks live here because they don’t want modern shit. You want modern shit then you can go down stream about five hundred miles and be in New Orleans. Country life suits us. We depend on no one.”

“Was just asking.”

“Yeah, I know. Look, I lived in another Pride that integrated with humans, in a city. Didn’t work out. This here…” Gannon made a motion towards the lake. “It’s simple but it’s solid. Everyone pitches in and no one is left wanting the necessities. Alpha sees to that.” It was time to close up the boat and walk back to the Pride. There was a wagon for their packages that Gannon could pull with his mouth as a cat and make the trip in less than half an hour but he stayed alongside Jensen in human form. Jensen pulled the wagon and accepted the offered cigarette from Gannon’s second stash.

“What’s your friend gonna end up doing?” the beta asked, scrubbing his face. “He pick out anything?”

Taking a long drag from the cigarette, Jensen sighed. “He likes the guard, don’t know why. Says it gives him time to think.”

With a shrug, Gannon replied, “If it suits him it suits him. Fishing ain’t much of a party either but I prefer the silence.”

Their day had given Jensen a lot of time to think. He thought over their landing and although it seemed terribly wrong, there wasn’t anything he could do to fix or explain it. Nothing had happened to them so far and they were already settled in. Despite their experience with time travel he could not remember why there would be interference in their journey; the government they’d left did not have the capabilities to understand their methods or replicate them.  Jeff would have heard something if someone from their world had tried to sabotage their attempt. And, even if the Council had tried, they would not have landed here—they’d have been immediately taken to the Council Headquarters, which would have been instant and painful. Or, someone from the Council would have traveled here and tried to arrest Jensen and Misha. From any way he looked at it, none of it made sense.

That also did not explain Jared’s missing ring or his inability to purr. Those things might be able to be explained away as side effects or sacrifices in travel but what bothered Jensen the most was the breeders’ flickering shadows. Those usually meant warnings—dire warnings of horrible things to come. That was a message able to transcend through time and space amongst time travelers; indeed, that had been the only way Jensen had known to get back to Lee.

However, these warnings were so far unaccompanied by any other signs. Jensen had seen Jared’s shadow flicker twice since Nicky had pointed it out. Yet nothing else happened.

Eventually, he decided that he would get nowhere on his own and it would be best to discuss these things with everyone else. Walking with Gannon proved to be as agreeable as working with him. Three cigarettes later and with town in sight, they passed a beta heading towards the pier to change shifts at the base there. One of the largest beta bases was located at the first pier, which was closest to the Pride. The second largest beta base and second pier were located a few miles west, with two beta bases in between the distance. In an emergency, all beta bases shone lanterns to communicate and would extend all up and down the lake.

“Yo,” Gannon called out. “You look like you’ve seen a twenty pound catfish fry itself in front of you. What’s going on?”

The passing beta paused, nodded to Jensen, and replied to Gannon. “There’s a sweet omega walking around in tight jeans and heels, brother. What a sight. Unmated and up for grabs.”

“You talkin’ about Mioh?” Gannon growled. “That’s no way to speak about the Alpha’s son, kid.”

“No, Gannon, jeez. Though looks like Mioh had a hand in the outfit. Go see, he’s all legs and ass, man. Good thoughts for tonight’s watch.”

“That’s no way to speak about _any_ omega,” Gannon grumbled and ran a hand through his hair. “You met the Alpha’s son? A fucking pistol. Keeps trying to get the attention of older betas. Kid’s gonna get hurt one day and the beta who does it will have to answer to Ilia.”

“Who?”

“Ah, you didn’t know Ilia before he became Alpha. That’s his actual name. His name isn’t Alpha.”

“Guess it’s not respectful to call him that now though, right?”

“Not for you,” Gannon replied with a smirk. “But I can piss him off all I want. It’s my special honor in this life.” Finally, they reached the center of the Pride. A few betas were there with omegas watching, preparing to make a meal. There were a few more things from the hunting party that had gone out that day and Jensen could smell rice and beans in a pot somewhere. Some families made a large dinner to share in the center of the Pride, but most ate in shifts and in their residences. Jensen took whatever Gannon gave him, which was a generous portion, but he felt a thrum of pride in his chest when he started walking towards his own residence. He started to understand what it meant when betas said it was an honor to bring food to their omegas. It was one way he could give back to the person in his life that gave him so much, often without asking for anything at all.

As Jensen was making his way out of the center of the community, with a mental note that he had the next day off from fishing as Gannon liked to space out their trips, he saw cluster of betas around an omega. An omega was never forced to mate with any beta—the Alpha here was strict about that—but Jensen didn’t trust betas not to take advantage. He walked near, hoping to hear some of the conversation.

“C’mon Mioh, let us talk to your friend.”

“I said fuck off! He’s mated, god dammit!”

“He doesn’t _smell_ mated, do you? C’mon, what’s your name?”

“Jared?” Jensen gasped and nearly threw down what he was holding. The reminder of being out in the sun all day to catch what he had hauled back kept his hold firm but he vibrated with anger. Without thinking, he shoved the nearest betas out of the way to break the circle. In the middle, there was Jared, dressed up in an outfit that made Jensen simultaneously aroused and angry. What was he thinking parading around in jeans that tight—without his ring on, without them being mated, without Jensen’s knowledge? And how the hell was it possible for anyone’s ass to look so good in jeans like that?

“Jensen!” Jared immediately went to him, even though Jensen turned away and started walking. This was not a conversation they were going to have in the middle of the Pride, where everyone could hear.

“Not so fast, Jared!” a young voice called out. “You’re not steady on heels yet!”

Jensen caught Jared just in time, right before he was about to go ass over kettle.

“I’ll change,” Jared blurted out, fear in his eyes, already shaking all over. “I’ll find robes…”

A deep breath was taken. Calm down. He had to calm down. It wasn’t Jared’s fault. In fact, Jensen was pretty sure that outfit was given to him by the other teenager standing not too far away, wearing something similar. Whatever he said now might possibly shape the rest of their stay here. He locked eyes with Jared, which was a good sign. “Jay… those jeans look good on you.”

The look on Jared’s face was reward enough. “Really? I was… I was hoping… I… I have news, also.”

“Can it wait until I get you out of those jeans?” Jensen said, not at all louder than usual so the betas near them would hear him clearly. Not at all.

Jared smiled and walked in step with Jensen, towards their residence. “No, I would prefer it not to wait.”

“Alright,” Jensen replied, shifting what he was carrying into one arm and looping his other arm around Jared’s shoulders. “Lay it on me.”

“Perhaps not until you are sitting down.”

“What? You get a piercing too? Look at those heels, Jay.” Although now that he knew who that beta had been talking about, Jensen had to admit, Jared looked damn good in that outfit. Long legs and shapely curves were accentuated perfectly.

There was a hesitation in his reply that made Jensen uneasy. “No, not a piercing. Did you bring dinner? Nicky is cooking tonight.” That change in subject didn’t help his unease.

“I did. I got to keep some of my catch. She can cook this, right?” Jensen walked a little faster, wanting to be inside already. He didn’t have the patience at the moment to guess about what this news was. Their residence already looked familiar to him and they ducked into it quickly, with Jensen all but dumping the fish into the fridge and rushing over to their room, where Jared was perched on their bed, looking nervous and slightly panicked.

“Jay? Sweetheart?” Jensen asked, keeping his voice soft, sitting next to Jared. “Whatever it is, please, I need to know.”

Tears fell. “I know… but I… I almost don’t want to tell you,” Jared whispered, wiping away at his tears. “At least… not until I know for sure… because I just… I cannot disappoint you or cause you grief again.”

Everything went through Jensen’s mind in two seconds. Grief? Was he a stranger to such a word? No.

“You’re worrying me, Jay,” he replied, hands on Jared’s shoulders. He tried to ignore the movement in the corner of his eye. It was Jared’s shadow flickering again, this time more animated and desperate than before.

He was prepared to move them again—across every possible solar system, through every layer of time.

“Jensen,” Jared announced, softly and looking up to Jensen, despite the tears in his eyes and that sad, mournful look. “I… I love you.”

Their hands laced together. A sweet but light kiss was shared, with Jensen promising more.

“I love you too, Jay.” How many times had he said that? Not nearly enough. Never enough.

Another kiss and this time, Jared broke it. He leaned into Jensen, wrapped his arms around Jensen’s neck, and whispered, “I’ve been bred.”

There was hardly any time for him to react. Jared stood up, kicked off the heels, and hurriedly led him to the second room in their residence. The first thing he noticed was the happy color of the room, then the crib, and lastly, the rocking chair near the window. He pictured Jared sitting in it, holding their child, rocking gently and leaning down to give tiny kisses. He pictured two sets of dimples smiling at him on a Sunday morning, begging him to get up. This room would never be quiet again; it would always have a heart beat in it, strong and sure and safe.

Jensen fell to his knees, trying to steady himself on the wall.

He could hear it.

Clear as a bell.

Tentatively, he placed a hand on Jared’s middle; Jared placed his good hand over it, smiling down.

How wonderful life would be when he could hear it out loud. For now, he would settle for the sound in his head and heart.

“Daddy.” 


	24. Severed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nicky and Jared reconvene; Jared asks Jeff what he wants to do. Something appears out of the tree line.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I'm not reaching 50k for NaNoWriMo but hey... I got pretty far!
> 
> Ahhh this chapter freaked me out. XD
> 
> Thank you for reading!

The next person he could not wait to tell was Nicky.

And although she wished him congratulations, she was not truly happy. As soon as the Masters were fed and speaking in the living room, she pulled Jared aside in the kitchen, holding his hands. He had changed into a more comfortable pair of trousers and shirt that Jensen had given him; she was dressed in a simple dress, colored a light green. She looked happy and well settled, which pleased him greatly.

“Jared,” she murmured, keeping her voice down, “you were not in heat, how have you been bred?”

“I am not sure,” he admitted. “The Alpha says he and some of the betas can smell it. Has no one said anything to you?”

She blushed and shook her head. “No. No one has made any mention of… _that_ to me.”

Jared couldn’t help but smile and inquire, “Was he careful?”

Her eyes shone. “He was,” she replied simply, running a hand through Jared’s hair. “You look as I have never seen you, Jared. At peace. Can you be happy here?”

There was something in her tone he picked up on but could not trace. “Of course. I am at peace. It’s been quite lovely so far, everyone is very nice. I hope not to be separated from you every day as we have been today.” She leaned up to kiss him and he kissed back eagerly. When they pressed together, a jolt of familiarity struck through him. It made everything come back full circle. He could not be happy anywhere without her company, both as a fellow breeder and his particular friend.

While their Masters spoke in the living room, they wandered into the guest room, which Nicky had set up. It was not a nursery, yet, because she wanted to wait for that and had no idea when her next heat would be. She confided that although the Judge seemed to like her a great deal, he hadn’t made any proposal of being mated. “It concerns me,” she added as they lay down, “but he is someone who likes to think about his decisions so all I can do is hope that he chooses me as an agreeable mate.”

Side by side as they had always been, Jared looked at her directly. “He has to choose you! He must!”

“Oh,” she sighed with a smile. “But he doesn’t, Jared. And I think that is what makes it more special. In theory he could still choose any of the omegas here, because we are not bound to each other. So… perhaps I’ll just have to put more effort into securing him. Well, only if that would make him as happy as it would make me.”

Listening to her purring, Jared rested his head under her chin. “What did you do today?” he asked.

“Mmm… I took a small tour with some very obliging omegas and their beta patrol. The play area is constantly busy. I think you might like working with Ms. Deb, she is quite eager to meet you.” She traced his face with her fingers, her touch light and welcomed. “I also learned that you went out in style today. You had a number of betas talking about you, you know. I hope Jensen kept his temper?”

He could not help but grin. “He did.” They shared a laugh between them before sharing a kiss and a nuzz. “He was very… he surprised me. He surprises me a lot these days.”

“Traveling across time and space to ensure your safety seems to have had a positive effect on your Master. It’s for the best that he is on friendly terms with everyone here. I also learned today that we may do what we like and that there is always something to do. I told Misha I could not stand the thought of sitting idle in our residence. Our quarters are comfortable but it doesn’t take me days to clean or maintain anymore.” Her tone then took a more serious tone. “Jared, I can get caught up in our new environment—it pleases me greatly, really, it does—but there are so many elements of our arrival that continue to disturb me. I know they are discussing it now but I fear they will come to no conclusion. You still cannot purr and I see our shadows flickering even as we lay together.”

Reaching out, he swept her hair over her shoulder for her. “The Judge said they are warnings but I have had no nightmares. I sleep well every night, especially now with Jensen. My purring disturbs me… but… Nicky, I… I know it is important but I am tempted to… well, to give that up.”

She eyed him carefully. The new moon that filtered in joined the hushed sounds of conversation that came from the living room.

“It’s not right that you are carrying without being in heat,” she emphasized but sighed. “Can we brush this off as an effect of our travel?”

“What other option is there?”

“None, I suppose, but this does not make me rest easier.”

“Until we have answers,” he suggested softly, kissing her cheek, “it might be best to keep busy.”

“Indeed it might be.”

She pulled the covers over them and they settled in for the night, lulled to sleep by her purring and the voices of their Masters two rooms over.

 

Before they left Nicky and the Judge’s residence, Jared asked Jeff for a moment of his time. He needed to know if his brother was happy. Everyone else seemed to be settling in, but Jeff did not have a mate, and he was staying by himself in a small residence next to the second Doctor’s office, which was a walk away from their residences.

“You look well,” Jeff declared with a bright smile, their arms looped together as they look a short walk outside. The Pride was quiet, with the crackling of a few fires in the background, and the lovely scent of smoky firewood in the air.

“I am very well,” Jared replied with his own smile. “I could not have imagined an outcome such as this and for that, I thank you.”

Jeff hesitated in his reply, but nodded. “You are too good, Jared. You always see the best in people, even myself. I am glad that that has not changed.”

“May I ask a question?”

Turning down a small lane that led towards the tree line, they continued their walk. “Ask away.”

The moon above was nothing like the one Jared had been joined with. It felt entirely different to him, though he could not make out how. He knew Nicky felt the same; she described it as having two slippers one and neither matched. “What will you do now, brother?” he asked, shaking off his own discomfort.

It took two minutes of silent walking for Jeff to answer. “I’m not sure. Really, I don’t know. I had my own private practice back home. I saw you maybe twice a year, in between all your running around. It would be nice to go back and see our mother and the rest of them, but I have to admit… this is beautiful country. I hope you’re enjoying it. I heard Mioh took you on a tour.”

The mention of the teenager caused the young breeder to smile. “Yes, yes he did. I… there are many things here that continue to puzzle me.”

“Such as?”

Jared thought out his answer before replying, not wanting to seem as if he were complaining. “Everyone is very nice. I have not seen any whips. How can this be? Do they hide their kennels? Where are the farms? What are their quotas? Will they accept me if… if….” His hand moved to his belly. He could not bring himself to speak out loud about losing this child. Saying it might make it true. Breeders did not speak about such things then and Jared would not start now.

Just as Jeff was answering, a figure stepped out of the tree line.

At first it seemed like one of the betas was returning from a guard shift.

Their erratic movements made the hairs all over Jared’s body stand up. Instinctively, Jared clutched at Jeff’s arm, the both of them standing still and silent. The figure stumbled and rolled over itself as if it were drunk, but it was disturbed beyond that. Its limbs were warped, damaged, and broken, jerking in random directions. When it spotted them—thirty feet away—it twitched, seemingly overjoyed at spotting Jeff and Jared. Only as it neared and stepped out of the shadow of the tree line did Jared recognize what it was.

It was no beta.

It was a government official.

 

The young breeder barely had any time to scream. Jeff withdrew a pistol—that’s what they were called because Jensen had told him—and shot the official in the head. The shot was clean and took the official down; it landed with a heavy thud.

“Stay here,” Jeff commanded, looking at Jared directly. “Do not scream, Jared. Stay here and wait for me. Can you do that? Good.”

Although the young breeder was shaking, he managed to follow through with his orders. Terrified, he watched his brother approach the official, pistol extended. When he reached its prone body, he kicked it with his boot, turned it over, and did something to the pistol before firing it once more. It took one minute for three betas to show up, Jeff waving at them to stay back. Half a minute afterwards,  the Alpha appeared, barking orders and taking command of the scene.

“Jeff!” the Alpha hissed, approaching with heavy footsteps. “You’ve fired a weapon! We spoke about this!”

“Alpha, please! Not now!” Jeff snapped. “My brother—get him with the others. Jared! Get to Nicky! Take him and the other breeder to the safety house, Alpha. Please!”

“No!” Jared shouted, unable to help himself. He looked at the Alpha with desperation. “What is going on? Please, don’t let them take me! You… there are hundreds… don’t let them past the tree line!”

Even in the dim light, the Alpha’s eyes shone. “Calm yourself, omega, no one will harm you. Stay by my side and stay quiet.” Together, they approached Jeff and the official; when it was before their feet, the Alpha had Jared stand behind him. Jared tried to see as much as possible.

“It’s dead, Jeff.”

“No, it’s not. I don’t know how it’s not but it’s _not_.”

“It’s a clear shot to the head.”

“Look at what is attached to its leg!”

Both the Alpha and Jared looked at the legs. The official was dressed in traditional black uniform and mask, complete with those hideous, terrifying gloves. The first leg had nothing out of the ordinary. The second leg, the left one, appeared to be normal. However, Jared gasped when he saw what his brother was referring to.

Another official’s hand was attached, gripping on, severed at the wrist.

“Beta alarm X!” the Alpha yelled, voice booming. “To the tree line, invaders! Kill on sight! Omegas to the safe house—now, now, now!”

Jeff’s hands on Jared’s shoulders caused the breeder to flinch. His brother looked at him, fear in his eyes, and murmured, “Find Nicky and hide. We will find you shortly. Go! Stop staring, Jared, go!”

The Alpha was the first to reach the tree line and disappear into the forest, followed by a team of six betas. A beta ran up to Jared and gently nudged him, then pleaded with him to follow, assuring him that Nicky had already been sent for.

“Jensen,” Jared blurted out. “Where is he? I cannot…”

“Pick him up,” Jeff shouted to the beta, “and take him, there isn’t a moment to spare!”

“But sir…”

“Do it!”

And that was when Jared was picked up, his vision became distorted, and he blacked out.

The moon was nowhere near.


	25. Recording

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The body is examined.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Specific warnings for this chapter include blood, gore, and icky bits. 
> 
> Leave me comments please! Thank you for reading! <3

Jensen:

Jeff was right. It wasn’t dead from the bullet.

“It’s been dead for quite some time,” Dustin announced in the operating room of the hospital. “The bullet merely severed the connection between its brain and the rest of the body. The heart is still beating, though by what means I do not know. As for the hand, well, that is also technically dead but I would chance to say if you reapplied it, it would still function.” The white sheet over the body was pulled back over the body. Dustin had not taken the mask off. “Gentlemen, I really would rather not see what is underneath.”

Jensen was about to agree—and insist that they burn the thing and bury it—when Misha spoke up.

“Dismal as it may be,” he insisted, “it might be beneficial for us to know who this is.”

“Who do you think it is?” Dustin asked, tilting his head. “Surely it’s not someone you know.”

Misha looked at Jensen, who shrugged and turned away. It couldn’t be Eli. He didn’t _want_ it to be Eli. Although it was true that Eli had been the last person near the tunnel, he was not equipped with time travel runes or the understanding of how to navigate time and space after them.

The four of them—Dustin, Misha, Jeff, and himself—looked at each other for a moment.

“It came after us,” Jeff murmured, looking away. “It either recognized us or knew us as its intended target.”

Before Jensen could dwell on the fear that had gripped his heart when he heard the news, there was a knock at the door. Dustin moved to answer it, opening the door an inch before swinging it open all the way. A tired looking Alpha walked in and made his way directly to the body. He quietly asked for a report from Dustin, who repeated what he had announced to their party just a few minutes prior.

With a sigh and a rub at his temples, the Alpha nodded and thanked him tersely, then turned towards Jensen, Jeff, and Misha. Jensen stood up a little straighter.

“I have personally been to the borders of our forest, the lake, and Driskill Mountain—on foot and by car. My beta teams report no other being and I myself have seen no more of these… things. We have not found the body that would belong to that hand, nor did we find any tracks or scents of the entire body further than the tree line and the trail shortly after it. None of the beta teams have seen anything amiss with the lake—on either side—and the only irregularity I have to report is that an omega a flock of birds flying at night in the wrong direction. There have been no traces of any strays of our kind near our borders, nor have there been any human visitors in this area.”

Paused for a moment, the Alpha glanced at the body on the table, then back to Jeff. “It seems to have appeared from nowhere. It left no tracks, no scent, no signs of it ever having been in our forest beyond the area you saw it in. This leads me to believe it arrived in a similar manner as you did.”

“That’s not possible!” Jeff tried to stress.

“Clearly it is!” the Alpha snarled and took a step forward. “Whether you have an explanation for this or not I don’t care! The point is that it made it here and who knows what more could happen!”

It was Dustin who stepped in between Jeff and the Alpha, looking at his mate. “Il, please, I’ve just noticed something.”

“What is it now?” the Alpha snapped.

Once more their attention was directed to the body. Dustin put on a pair of gloves and pointed at the official’s shoulders and the top of its mask. “Burn marks here and here. The hand also has some singes where it was severed. I would venture to say they both gained those during however it was that they got here. Now, I treated both omegas by myself and neither had any scorch marks.”

“What’s your point, beta?”

Dustin looked hurt but pushed through it. “ _Alpha_ , it’s my opinion that however it got here, it wasn’t through any means similar to how they have traveled,” he motioned towards Jensen and the rest. “It’s something entirely new and unnatural. Look at its limbs, the fact that it shows the same signs of post mortem that a body would after three days. It’s almost like… it was dumped.”

“Take off the mask,” the Alpha ordered. “Show me what is under it.”

Dustin hesitated but eventually moved his hands towards the mask. Before he could pull the sheet back, his hand was grabbed.

At first Jensen thought it was the Alpha pulling him back.

They all jumped when they realized it was the official’s hand.

Its arm was bent backwards and twisted but it still managed to grip onto Dustin’s wrist and yank. The Doctor’s mouth opened to scream and Jensen moved to grab the gun in his vest as he saw Jeff do the same. If a bullet could stun it once, it could stun it again.

But Jensen never got to pull the trigger.

The Alpha reacted twice as fast, pulling out a machete. It took one firm swing and the hand was severed, but he did not stop there. Lifting the blade up once more he brought it down and severed the official’s head. It landed on the floor with a sick thump, rolling around, spurting blood all over the table and the floor. The blood was a dark, dank green, as if it was rotten. Suddenly, the Alpha was hacking the head open, partially with his machete, but also using the heel of his boots. Grunting with effort and panting by the time the head was completely cracked open, no one dared disturb him. Jensen watched in horror. He had seen a lot and he was not one easily made nauseous, but he had never seen anyone kick open a human head and sift through the contents with their shoe.

“Fuck!” the Alpha roared and threw down the machete.

Jensen looked over.

Before the Alpha’s heel came down on them, he caught a glimpse.

A chip and a camera had been inside. It had been watching and recording them.


	26. Held

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jared wakes up and his problems have grown beyond flickering shadows. The Alpha asks him to share his memories.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PLEASE READ THE WARNINGS HERE: mentions of past graphic violence, blood, abuse, rape, psychological torture all in detail. Proceed with caution for this chapter. 
> 
> This is not a light chapter. 
> 
> Remember that these are memories. 
> 
> Difficult chapter to write. Sorry for the surge of darkness. Things will get better, like by a lot. (But seriously, did you read the warnings? Read the warnings.)
> 
> Comments, kudos, questions are all greatly appreciated and loved. <3 Thank you.

Once again, they were in a room.

He woke up gradually, feeling stiff and crooked. At least this time he was not bound to a table and Nicky was right beside him, awake and unharmed. Immediately she began to check him over, her hands gently pressing against his chest, belly, and face.

“Where… where is it?” Jared asked, remembering what had caused the uproar. The picture in his mind caused him to shiver. He struggled to sit up, feeling dizzy, holding onto the older breeder’s shoulders. “Nicky, they know… they know we are here.”

Even though his vision was still focusing, he could tell she was frightened and trying to keep herself calm for his sake. A cup of water was pressed to his lips and she tilted it back, urging him to take a drink before she began speaking. “Jared, please. Calm yourself. We are safe in this room. The Alpha came by to check on us not too long ago. Sit up and drink that then I’ll tell you.”

If the Alpha had been by that meant that whatever they were doing to investigate was done. Jared wondered what time it was; he felt completely disoriented and out of sorts. His shadow flickered in an entirely different way than before. This time, instead of short bursts of disappearing and reappearing, it disappeared for nearly an entire thirty seconds. When it reappeared, it was twisted in the same unnatural way the official had been moving. Even when the Judge’s shadow had been flashing a warning signal in their household in Lee, it had never appeared so misshapen. Anxiety rose in his chest and he pushed the water away, stood up, and demanded to be told what was going on.

“They didn’t find any others!” Nicky insisted, rising to meet him, slipping her hands into his. “Jared, you’ve been passed out for two _days_. No one could wake you! Nothing would rouse you from this sleep and all the while your shadow… it wasn’t… it wasn’t there.” She embraced him tightly, her frame trembling. “We were all so worried, Jared.”

“I am awake now,” he blurted out and separated them, moving to the door, trying to open it. Locked. “Why are we locked in? Who keeps us here? Where is Jensen?”

Cautiously, she approached him, yet she did so while keeping her distance. “Jared, please, calm down. It’s for our own safety. I already sent for someone when I noticed you waking up. Jensen went out with a patrol—he’s been coming in every other hour and I have been here all this time.” She put her hands out for him. “Please trust me, I would not lie to you.”

Steadied against a wall with his good hand, Jared looked around the room. Nothing made sense. Where was his belly? How could that be? No, he was here now. He hadn’t had a belly in a long time, or at least, it seemed like a long time for a breeder. But he had just been thrown into the cellar. Nathaniel needed tending to; he was sure he could push through his own pain to serve his household. His own litter could hold out just a little longer. But if Master had placed him here with no way to leave—not even one way to crawl out—how could he fulfill his natural role?

“You’re not there!”

“Help me, Master! Please!”

“Jared, you’re not there! You’re here, you’re here with me!”

A rush of wind pushed past and he felt the emptiness of his middle. Nothing he saw was correct. The cellar and another room turned on and off before him, switching themselves constantly, until he was so distraught that he fell over, on his knees and clawing at the door. He had to get out.

“I don’t know what happened, it’s like he’s sleepwalking!”

“Has he done this before?”

“No, never! Not in my company!”

“Stop talking!” Jared cried at the unopened door, scraping at the bottom where he could see a sliver of light. “Please, help me. It hurts, I’ll be good, please!”

“If we disrupt the memory he’s in we may do him more harm.”

Suddenly, the door changed from dark wood to whitewash and the floor, instead of dirt, became stark white tile. The emptiness in his belly filled rapidly, uncomfortably so. Knocked back on his haunches he gasped and felt his eyes close.

When he opened them, he knew exactly where he was and who was in the room: Nicky and the Alpha.

Something more than flickering shadows was wrong.

 

Sitting on a bed, Jared was asked a few questions.

He answered them as best he could. Yes, he was seeing images of his life as it had always been before. Yes, he felt physically different; the only way he could describe that sounded ludicrous to him but the Alpha urged him to try and put it into words.

“I feel heavy,” Jared replied softly, his head down. “My belly is full and I do not know why.”

“You feel pregnant?” the Alpha asked, eyes filled with concern as they sat next to each other. “How far into a term do you feel?”

“I don’t know,” the young breeder sniffed, rubbing at his eyes. “I’ve just started to feel them move again. Alpha, where is Jensen? Can I see him yet?”

Nicky had left the room shortly after the Alpha had arrived, obeying the Alpha’s request to have a private audience with Jared. He had been moved to a different room, walking alongside the Alpha. This room was larger, with a window that showed it to be day time. A tray of food was resting on the desk in the corner, nearest the door. Jared had declined food for the moment, even though the soup smelled similar to the batches he used to make. The only thing he had accepted from the Alpha had been a blanket to wrap around himself since he felt a deep cold in his bones.

Jared knew every movement that he felt in his belly. Though he had never known which pup had been the one to constantly kick his stomach, he could feel it all over again. It took every bit of restraint he had not to break down in front of the Alpha. A breeder had to be strong; he had no answers but that was no excuse to do his party dishonor and become a mess of emotions.

The Alpha assured Jared that Jensen would arrive soon. “First, Jared, I want to see what you’re seeing. Do you think you would allow me to do that? I can stop at any time.” Sensing that Jared did not know what the Alpha meant, he explained. “It’s a… well, it’s an ability unique to Alphas of a Pride. Sometimes, if the other person is receptive, I can connect and see what they are seeing in their mind. All it takes is for us to hold hands and concentrate. You can break the connection at any moment if you wish, all you would have to do is will the connection to sever and that’s it.”

Jared wrapped the blanket around himself tighter, looking at the Alpha with guarded eyes. “This will help?”

“I don’t know but it’s worth a try if you are willing to trust me.”

Too tired to protest, the young breeder nodded his consent. If the Alpha thought his visions were worth seeing then who was he to question? Much more was at stake than Jared’s life; now this entire community was involved. The officials would never stop at his capture. They would march all through the forest and drive those who stood against them into the lake. Every beta would be slaughtered at the water’s edge and every omega would be taken.

“No,” the Alpha stated firmly, looking at Jared directly. “That will _not_ happen. Now, give me your hands and close your eyes.”

Had he spoken aloud?

No, he was screaming.

It felt like hours.

No position was painless, though his movements were limited. His back hurt the most; an expanding stabbing pressure was building and rapidly peaking. It was the cellar all over again. It was every instinct he had—all over again—telling him something was horribly wrong. He expected to wait longer because that was how he remembered it but in an instant he was once more gripping onto the Judge and he could feel the Doctor’s hands turning a pup. Why wasn’t it easy? If this was what his body was meant to do then why could it not perform? The smell of his own blood, pooling around him, was thick and persistent. Nothing lessened the stench.

A surge of pressure pushed from his lower back to his hips and he felt a pup nearly push out. Sobbing, he begged for it to leave, to get out of him and for someone to end his miserable existence.

The sequence became distorted once more. He was not done. He had at least two more pups to go but there he was, on his back, watching the Doctor try to hide the basket, try to resuscitate the blue, helpless forms that had not made it.

Strangled.

Had they felt it?

A kennel guard had beaten him so badly during his first stay there that his left eye had its retina detached. The kennel Doctor had to be brought in to treat Jared because he was still good product—still sellable. And it wasn’t like Jared had known about the eye injury; he had passed out by then. They deemed him fit for auction—never mind the burns, the whip marks, the blood and come that dripped down his mouth and chin, one partially broken hand, and his filthy, matted hair.

He had been eleven years old. Too young to waste when there was money to be made off his sale.

Breeders healed fast. A few rounds with the MedLight and he would be fine, the kennel Doctor had insisted. This would be an important lesson, many people told him: next time shut up and stay still.

So they had been tracking his memories.

Once more the scenery changed. Chained outside for days, Jared wailed in fear, crying in hopes that someone would hear him over the storm. The chain was short and he had been positioned belly down, on his knees with his legs spread open. Mud, blood, and waste surrounded him. He could not hold his head up for long at that angle; he shook and sobbed every time he made a mess of himself, all of it mixing and coating him despite the torrent of rain that fell in hard, relentless sheets.

There had been a time when old Master delighted in pushing Jared, shoving at him and seeing him tumble. Because he had been carrying his reaction time had been diminished and getting up was a struggle. Over and over again old Master would heave the young breeder onto the floor. Sometimes that would be the end of it. Those were good days.

Sometimes things went further.

These were details of his life he had not shared with Jensen.

These were all the thoughts Jared had kept shoved down in the deepest, darkest part of him underneath the organ called a heart. There were a million details and smaller occurrences that no one who was not a breeder would understand. These were everyday things; how could anyone describe something as common as breathing?

His hair had been pulled so hard clumps of it fell out regularly. Master would slam Jared down onto the floor of the bathroom and drag him up, pushing Jared’s face into the mirror, holding him there. Once, twice, three times his head would be smashed into the mirror until his nose broke and blood sprayed everywhere. It got into his mouth when he screamed from the pain of being brutally entered, legs spread and belly hanging vulnerably.

It wasn’t any use, no matter how motionless he stayed it kept happening, until his body was dumped into the bath tub, his head held down and his hips kept up. Choking and sputtering, flailing because he could not breathe, Master kept driving into him. The sound of the splashes of water from his movements was so loud he could not hear himself struggling to breathe.

The water burned.

It was filled with bath salts.

This happened like clockwork. There was no use in hiding. Nathaniel would find him. Master would drag him out of his closet or from the garden.

“This is amusing,” Master laughed once, pulling Jared up by the hair. “Swim little fish, swim.”

What was the point.

Of telling anyone about that.

 

Jared had never been in love before.

Flipped yet again, trapped in a room filled with shadows, none of which were his, he felt himself lay down, cheek to the floor.

Failure sprouted in blisters on his chest, burning and slitting tissue.

The shadows lunged.

It felt like love. 


	27. Toll

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Unwelcome news is given.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Specific warnings for this chapter include: past references to miscarriage, implied miscarriage, grief. 
> 
> Short and depressing chapter. 
> 
> But I have to say, that just because the Alpha can't smell it, doesn't mean it's not there...

The Alpha severed the connection.

Breathing hard and arm extended, holding a large hunting knife, the Alpha stared at the young breeder. Jared didn’t fear the blade. He was exhausted and felt as if he had walked the entire way here, from Lee to the lake. With blank eyes, Jared assumed a position of submission—he lay down on his belly while on the bed, and tilted his head to expose his neck. Whatever the Alpha wanted to do he hoped it would be done quickly. Although Jared had placed this entire world in danger, he had faith that the Alpha wouldn’t let him suffer; he had hope for that much mercy.

“I told you,” the Alpha said, placing the blade back into its sheath. “Omegas kneel to no one, Jared. Not even an Alpha.”

A gentle hand was placed on Jared’s shoulder, urging him to sit up. The young breeder moved slowly. His middle was as flat as ever but it felt like he was carrying his first litter all over again. The phantom movements of his pups tormented him; even his back hurt in the same dull ache it had before. And while they had been painful, uncomfortable kicks and pushes, Jared remembered each one. He knew that the pup on his left, closer to the underside of his belly, had always moved more at night. The pup that settled nearest the top turned quite often, as if it had been trying to get to sleep. Or it had been fighting for life.

Perhaps that had been the first pup to die.

It would be too much to feel the barbed, biting sting that had struck him from the top of his belly and dragged downwards just as the Doctor had arrived to help. That was his first sign that something was utterly wrong. But why this litter? Why not his child? Or would that experience be waiting for him later? Would he also again feel the first push of a child that had just begun its heart beat?

In the brief glances he had gotten, Jared had seen its closed, half formed eyes.

Jensen had begged him not to look.

Blessedly, the Alpha’s voice interrupted his thoughts. “May I?” was asked, a hand hovering above Jared’s middle. Jared nodded and closed his eyes. There wasn’t any dark red when he shut his eyes anymore and his connection to the moon in this world was minimal, down to a waning, frayed thread. Fatigued as he was, Jared managed to keep his arms at his side, even the bad one, ready to protect his belly. The Alpha’s hands were cautious and gentle, alternating using gentle pressure to pressing down in spots that caused Jared to wince a few times. The sound of his breathing felt loud to him. This room seemed quieter than the others. He gasped when he felt a pup kick as it rolled.

“I felt that,” the Alpha murmured, eyes wide. “How… but…” His look changed from awe to concern, causing Jared to tense up and beg to be told what was wrong. “I will tell you, but then I am going to do something for you and I want you to rest. Do you understand?”

“Yes. Anything.”

Jared was laid down on the bed and covered with two blankets. The Alpha’s movements were nurturing and unguarded, natural and still so elegant, just like the way he tended to the kitten. He sat on the edge of the bed, next to Jared, and telegraphed his intent to touch Jared’s forehead. His hand felt cool and Jared leaned into the touch, craving more. His hair was brushed back; the gesture reminded him of Jensen and he felt a squeeze in his chest.

In a whisper, the Alpha said, “I’m going to shift. You need to become accustomed to our forms.”

He nodded in understanding. And afterwards, in the back of his mind, he marveled at the softness of the Alpha’s fur. When he sobbed at the news, until he could no longer give any more sound, a rough, pink tongue groomed him and a deep, steady purr was there to soothe.

Before shifting, the Alpha announced softly, “Your scent has changed. I… I no longer detect life.”

 

Jared dreamt of the little yellow room.

How foolish he had been to paint it.


	28. Familiar

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The mask comes off the head; Jensen can't figure out the piling mysteries.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Specific warnings for this chapter: gore, mutilation of a body, graphic detail, blood. 
> 
> Another short chapter--moving along. 
> 
> The arm thing scares me. o_o

Jensen:

Everything that could be done had been done twice over. Every piece of forest up to the boundary line and the Mountain had been checked, patrolled, and double checked. The most experienced betas and a few of the most honored omegas had gone out to search.

The pieces of surveillance equipment were examined, broken as they were. It was a crude camera embedded with a chip. However, the chip looked nothing like the ones the breeders had had. Crushed, the data it had been collecting from watching Jeff and Jared from the tree line had been destroyed. A red light had flashed every minute like a distress call from the camera until Jeff had smashed it with his fist. Every piece was placed into a plastic bag and sealed, kept away from the headless body.

There was no morgue and the Alpha refused to allow Dustin to conduct a more extensive autopsy.

“I want that thing disposed of,” had been commanded to the beta before leaving. “Properly. Permanently.”

Dustin had insisted that Jensen didn’t have to participate, but Jensen didn’t listen. With Jared asleep and unable to be woken up, he needed an outlet. At midnight he joined a group of betas—Gannon and Dustin among them—near the tree line. Madison looked on, keeping her distance to remain on watch.

“An ugly son of a bitch, ain’t he?” Gannon had grumbled, putting out a cigarette and lifting a machete.

The mask had peeled off from the head.

Its brains had literally been bashed in and the skull fractured from the bullet and the Alpha’s machete. But there was more than that. Only a few betas could look at it. Jensen had no problem.

Until he noticed things he had not been able to see with its mask on before.

There were no eyes. Its tongue had been ripped out. The same burn marks Dustin had seen on the hand and the body’s suit were all over its cracked and splintered face. Even with these impediments, Jensen would never forget that face. In his mind, for a brief moment, he could see the face whole again, screaming and yelling through the protective rune barrier—eyes always on Jared.

Old Master—Madison.

They made quick work; Gannon took the first swing. Their machetes splintered through bone and muscle, ripping the body and hand apart until they were no more than black, jagged pieces. The head was the first thing tossed into a pit and it was the first thing that caught fire. Jensen watched the shadows carefully. His own did not flicker. But things that were not the shadows of his world crawled over the pit and writhed in the fire, crackling like wood. They stopped moving when Gannon slammed his shovel into the pit, stabbing down and twisting.

He had no answers or explanations for anyone. Gannon walked him back to the hospital, where Misha woke Nicky up and she informed them that Jared continued his sleep. Jeff reported that Jared was physically stable—breathing, heartbeat, and blood pressure were all normal and holding steady.

As Jensen looked on from the doorway, not wanting to dirty the room, Nicky confided something to him. Occasionally, Jared’s left hand would reach out and his fingers would twitch. His arm would extend, as if he were trying to touch something, and he would hold still for a full minute. It had frightened her the first three times but now it was almost routine. He would do this every hour on the hour, timed precisely to the minute, even if she tried pressing his arm back down. Not even the weight of the cast impeded the movement.

Leaning against the doorway, Jensen closed his eyes.

There were so many pieces.

“Rising of the son, burn away my sorrow,” he heard in his mind. “Pull me to tomorrow.”

That was Jared’s voice as it was now, not as it had been before. Odd how the change of one letter altered the entire meaning of that line—the technical word, as it had been written, was _sun_.

Jared had no shadow in this state.

But Nicky did, and her shadow would not hold still. Jensen reached out to try to touch it, to see if touching it would have the same effect as the shovel. Instead, her shadow snapped into place, aligning itself perfectly with her and ceasing to flicker.

“Jensen,” she urged in a whisper, “who was it?”

Looking at her directly—she looked so tired—he shook his head and turned away, headed towards the exit. He would sit in the yellow room and sleep there until his patrol shift in a few hours. It was best to keep busy; the Alpha didn’t want him around Jared more than what was necessary, said it was counterproductive. Jensen couldn’t completely agree but he knew Nicky kept an attentive watch.

“No one we knew,” he lied and left.

It took a long time for the dirt to wash off.


	29. Lists

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jensen reacts to the news.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter and quick update. Tissues for this chapter. <3
> 
> Comments, kudos, etc. are all appreciated. Thank you.

Jensen:

He opened the window and let the afternoon air in.

Everything had been placed so neatly, with the most care and affection.

How could there be so much love for someone who didn’t even exist yet?

The news hurt him. For a long time he sat in the middle of the nursery, cradling the glass bottle that had been placed near the crib, until he was a mess. They had both gotten their hopes up. He wanted to blame someone but he couldn’t; just himself.

“You’re too hard on yourself, Jenny.”

“Oh no. Don’t start with your psycho babble, Jared. Just…”

“Leave me the fuck alone,” Jensen said aloud at the same time he heard it in his head. Cringing and turning away from the sound of his voice, he braced himself.

“I can fix it just fine.”

“You’re not bulletproof, Jensen. This won’t help. This hurts you. It hurts me.”

Even though he was by himself in the entire house, he heard the scene clear as a bell. He heard the swish of the whiskey as Jared grabbed the bottled, every ounce of the desperation in Jared’s voice and the anger in his own. “Stop it! Leave me alone!”

“Don’t leave me alone,” Jensen blurted out, stumbling to his feet, holding a different bottle this time, one that didn’t have anything in it and yet contained so much frail hope. “Jay, please.”

“I can’t leave you Jen. That’s not what I do. You’re not gonna get rid of me, even if you want to. I’m not leaving you.”

“You liar,” they both spat out.

Whatever Jensen had said in that moment afterwards took a backseat to what he said now, standing in the nursery, the saddest room in their home.

“You did leave. You left me and I couldn’t take it. I couldn’t…”

Killed instantly.

Like it was supposed to comfort him. Like that was supposed to make him feel better. As if knowing Jared hadn’t suffered was going to let Jensen alk away. And for so many mornings after he woke up expecting Jared to be there alongside him. Sometimes he _knew_ Jared would be there, asleep, pink mouth hanging open slightly, hair a mess. Other times he _knew_ he would wake up to Jared sitting on the edge fo the bed, unclothed and comfortable, looking out the window with that restless, wistful look he always got lost in thought like that.

He _knew_ he would wake up and find Jared there.

But every morning was a new way to prove Jensen wrong. Every morning was a bitter, putrid lie.

What happened?

“What happened to us Jen?”

The tone was all wrong; Jensen could almost laugh. Who or whatever was toying with him didn’t know. They couldn’t replicated Jared’s voice perfectly. And why should they be able to? The only person who sounded like Jared was Jared…

And now—now, not then—Jared was devastated.

Jensen gripped the bottle. He wanted to throw it and hear it shatter and not give a damn. He wanted to tear apart the entire room because he was so fucking mad—how many times would loss have to happen to them until they were completely wrung dry? Until he had nothing left to give, nothing left to offer up to the stinging claws of fate?

Instead, he placed the bottle back in its place, next to fresh white towels and a piece of paper he hadn’t seen before.

Tuning out all the voices in his head, Jensen unfolded the paper. It was a piece from the journal he had given Jared in Lee. In careful handwriting was a list. It was different this time, this list. There were thre names instead of seven and another list alongside it.

_Freckles._

_Green eyes._

_His laugh._

“What happened to us Jen?”

The tone that time was closer—disturbingly so.

This time it was Jensen’s turn to tuck the list into his pocket. Jared had tucked a similar list into his wallet before going to help that couple on the side of the road. And it was that list that Jensen had gotten back from the officers at the scene of the accident. And it was that list that the witch had taken as payment from him. That’s all she had wanted. The list with the names of their would-be children, scrawled out in ballpoint pen.

“You wanted to make me pancakes,” Jensen replied to no one. He ran a hand over the edge of the crib before leaving.

He was going to make _this_ list happen.

“Bye Jay,” he whispered, closing his eyes for a moment.

He couldn’t talk to what was left of the past.

He would not squander the future.


	30. Sunflowers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jared wakes up in their residence; he becomes more familiar with his surroundings. A Pride meeting is called.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Extra long update! 
> 
> Thank you so much for reading. <333

When the Alpha left, Jared continued sleeping.

He did not wake up until the evening, from what he could tell from his view of the window. He expected to be in the hospital room but sitting up proved that he was in their residence. What was best, however, was that he was not alone. Jensen lay beside him, looking just as tired as Jared felt. Someone must have given him the news.

Instinct told him to fear his Master. Failure meant disgrace to their household—how would the betas treat Jensen if they knew the terrible quality breeder he had chosen to bed with? Although he hadn’t technically miscarried, he still hadn’t produced a surviving child for Jensen. It should have been easy, should have been natural. His record was more than scarred; he had been honest about that at least. What if, after all this time, he couldn’t produce what Jensen wanted the most? Would everything they had been through still be worth it? Jared couldn’t conceive of a situation where a breeder was worth so much trouble. Well, he couldn’t think about it in terms of himself. This new world was very different, in many positive ways, but it still overwhelmed him. Omegas walked around freely and no one was whipped or dragged or chained to a post—those were all immense differences he could not acclimate to yet. But it was the smaller things, the finer details he was most wary of.

The Alpha knew Jared had gotten his hopes up and hadn’t mentioned anything to him about it. There was no punishment given, no judgment passed. Instead, comfort and advice were parceled out. No first breeder Jared had ever known would have done that for him.

It was difficult for Jared to fully comprehend the lack of stricht routine and discipline. He didn’t have to rise at dawn anymore. In fact, Jensen had encouraged him to sleep in more often.

And what was worse—what he had yet to confide to anyone of their party or otherwise—was that he missed the threat of a whip. Those were clear boundaries and rules Jared could understand.

Sitting up in their bed, Jared moved slowly but without the weight around his middle. He was both saddened and relieved; it seemed that the phantom feeling was not permanent. He pressed his good hand to his belly and sighed. Eventually, his attention turned to Jensen, who snored as he always did, hair sticking up in caramel tufts. His Master was dressed in a dark blue shirt and black shorts. He looked handsome. Pride for his Master bloomed in his chest. Such a Master—who had traveled through stars and murky darkness—chose to share a bed with someone like Jared.

There had been so many nights where Jared had leaned against the post he had been chained against, watching the stars, counting small patches of them, making wishes to be good enough to serve his purpose in the world.

Did the stars look the same where Jensen came from?

What more was out there?

“Baby,” Jensen’s sleep-filled voice rumbled, “go back to sleep.”

For a moment, Jared wasn’t sure whether Jensen was speaking to him or the old Jared in his sleep, as he had done before. A cautious but warm hand touched Jared’s back. “C’mere, Jay. I want you next to me.”

Jared obeyed, lying back without hesitation, their bed soft and warm.

“One day you’re gonna be taller than me,” his Master murmured quietly, green eyes focused on the young breeder. He carefully lifted a strong arm over Jared and pressed them close. Silence passed between them, from Jensen’s expressive eyes to Jared’s hazel ones, they looked at each other directly. Despite his best attempt, Jared couldn’t hold back the tears that fell.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered, turning away from Jensen.

“You have no apologies to make to anyone, Jay, least of all to me. You can be sad—I’m sad too—but that’s okay.” Jensen spoke in a hushed tone but his voice did not waiver. “We can be sad about this and about a lot of things. I’ll ride it out with you and I’ll be here when we are ready to be happy again.”

Breeders were taught that they had no emotions other than what served their household. Pride for their household and Master could be felt—should be felt. Shame and disgust for themselves or other breeders who failed in their purpose should not only be felt but spread. One weak, _bad_ breeder reflected poorly on the rest of them. And what a breeder did—cleaning, serving, servicing—did not require emotions. Training told them to be ashamed of any feelings that did not pertain to their Master or household in the two ways that were appropriate. Everything that was still left over from his training told Jared to beg for forgiveness, to brace himself for a blow to the face. His heart—that funny little organ—told him to hold onto Jensen tighter.

He buried his face into Jensen’s chest, inhaling deeply, and nodded.

They could try again.

 

 

There was an armchair in the living room, close to the fireplace.

Their entire household was made out of wood, sanded until it was smooth. Jared could never get enough of admiring the carved patterns in the awnings, on the floors, and on the mantle. Everything was handcrafted; residences were made by hand. He had never seen a household built from the ground up in Meridian or Lee. Here, each residence was spaced out so that every group of betas and omegas had enough room to breathe. Although Jared felt very small, he was assured more than once that the Pride had plenty of land.

The only wall that was not made out of wood was the wall where the fireplace was. That was made from amber brick, the fireplace itself made out of lighter colored brick, with flecks of a mineral inside them that made them shine whenever a fire was lit.

A bunch of dried herbs and flowers hung from the ceiling near the fire, combining the smell of slowly burning wood with the bouquet Nicky had arranged. There was one in every home, to keep the residences smelling fresh. Dressed in a thickly knit sweater and supple trousers, Jared relaxed in Jensen’s lap, his feet dangling off the side of the armchair. It had seemed only big enough for one but Jensen had insisted it was meant for two.

This was one night after Jared had woken up beside Jensen.

The entire day had been spent with both of them sleeping. At one point, Jensen rose and brought back a tray filled with sweet bread, tea, apples, and cheese. Jared ate his portion and more, feeling hungry for the first time since he had woken up. Their plates and cutlery were simple here—none of the grandiose place settings Nathaniel had insisted on keeping or the finery Master Eli owned. The entire set didn’t match and Jensen’s mug had a small chip in it but Jared quite liked it. They were sturdy pieces.

For dinner, Jensen cooked.

The young breeder marveled at how well his Master could prepare a meal. He made a small remark about how if he had known this prior, perhaps Jensen might have made more meals.

“And miss out on Misha’s cooking?” Jensen had snorted in response. “Poor Nic. She’ll either have to do all the cooking or eat the food he makes.”

Amused by the nickname, Jared kept quiet. He maintained a watch on the flex of Jensen’s arms when he chopped onions or sliced lemons. He focused on the line of Jensen’s back, the dip and curve of his hips, the wide stance of his legs, and as always, that look of utter concentration on his handsome face. Shaving was not necessary here, so Jensen kept his facial hair longer than usual; it was no longer scratchy but instead smoother and only a little prickly.

Butter in the cast iron pan smelled delicious. From his bar stool near the stove, Jared watched Jensen coat two large fillets of fish in a mixture of egg, flour, and salt. Onions were added next and allowed to cook down, then the fillets were dropped with care, making only a little mess. Rice and beans simmered in a clay pot above the fireplace, in a manner Jared had never cooked before.

They ate on the floor of the living room, sitting cross legged on a brass colored rug, plates in their laps. Jared licked butter off his fingers and reached for another scoop of red beans and rice. He ate until he was sure he could eat no more.

Presently, they were in the armchair, not doing anything in particular. Jensen looked towards the fire and Jared looked to Jensen. Flecks of gold danced in Jensen’s eyes. One hand was kept on Jared’s back, tracing shapes at random, and another was near his middle. The phantom weight there had not returned. No word from the rest of the Pride had come to them in the entire day, though Jensen had told him that patrol along the tree line had been doubled.

Jared placed his hand above Jensen’s and unhurriedly positioned their hands on Jared’s middle. If he could purr, he would have done so. The smile he received in return from this action made the moment entirely worthwhile. His Master’s hand tenderly massaged Jared’s belly, causing Jared to sigh and rest his head on Jensen’s shoulder. The ring on Jensen’s hand didn’t feel cold at all.

Their residence was smaller than the households Jared had previously been kept in.

But there was such a sweet sound from the crackling of the fire and Jensen’s rhythmic, steady breathing.

Curled up and kept toasty, the young breeder settled in for the evening. Devoted hands lulled him into a calm, tranquil sleep.

 

 

The following afternoon, Jared spent his time with Nicky. A beta patrol followed them but they continued to be undetected, following further behind just as Mioh had asked them to the first time. Jared felt some relief that there were watchful eyes looking after them as they walked through the gardens.

At first, the gardens looked simple. A closer view proved the opposite. The area for the gardens and the field was extensive. Long stretches of elegant, tall grass rippled with every cool breeze. Tomatoes were being grown in one section, helped by the excellent sun and rich soil. Row after row of delicious vegetable had been planted, some of them ready, some still seeking time. Walking along a trail through the garden, their slippers not making any noise, they came upon the first thick patch of flowers. Nicky murmured off names and Jared joined in.

“Monkshood.”

“Bachelor buttons.”

“Larkspur.”

“Snapdragon.”

“Marigold.”

“Sunflowers!” Jared announced with a wide smile and reached out to touch one. Each one was perfect; petals like velvet and stems grown upright, swaying slightly in the wind. Although there were bronze and red ones, Jared favored yellow.

He looked out towards the edge of the field, holding Nicky’s hand in his right and the sunflower in his left. He had thought that the land here was mostly flat but it had gently rolling hills similar to the ones in Lee. The hills turned to forest that faded into the horizon. How grateful he was that Jensen had chosen a place with so much clean, open air. Miles of nature surrounded them in a way he hadn’t previously been able to appreciate. A glance toward the tree line did not reveal any threat coming towards them, seeking them out.

“Come now, we have an appointment,” Nicky said, squeezing Jared’s hand. “I could fall in love with these lands, Jared.”

“I too,” he replied with a happy sigh and turned toward her. “Has it always been so peaceful?”

“Peace is different to everyone.” She led him along the trail, clothed in a dress that resembled a robe but covered her more—fit her better. “But I suppose this tranquility is natural to these parts. It certainly seems like it to me.”

Every day omegas tended to the garden. Ms.Deb—a broad shouldered, blond haired and rosy cheeked individual—watched the two breeders from the center of the garden, where she was teaching a group of young cats how to prune leaves. Her gaze was just as sharp as the beta guard that accompanied them. She looked out for them, though Jared had yet to formally meet her. Nicky assured him that she was very friendly and eager to see both breeders settle into the Pride.

“Imagine how lovely it must be,” Jared spoke with a small smile, “to look after so many children every day.”

The older breeder bumped their shoulders together as they walked. It was half a mile to Dustin’s office, where Jared’s cast would be taken off.

“Soon enough, Jared. Soon enough.”

 

 

The next night all members of their party were invited to a Pride meeting.

The rules for them were simple, although Jensen argued against them: they were not to speak during the meeting. Since they were not official members of the Pride any comments they would want to make had to wait until after. In addition, if a vote was called, the only two members of their party that had any power to vote were Nicky and Jared.

Held around the fire pit in the center of the Pride, every cat and kitten assembled. The ban on cat forms in front of the breeders had been lifted. Nicky held his hand tightly as they both took in new sights. Most of the cats were simply colored, coats ranging anywhere from dark bronze to the color of hay. Some had light spots scattered across their coats and most had rings on their tails. Mioh sat with them and whispered small pieces of information, though Jared could hardly pay attention. Every cat was large, with paws as large as Jared’s head, and yet they moved with liquid grace. Kittens tumbled and mewed, bumping into adults and scampering away before they could be grabbed by the scruff and told to behave. One small bundle of fur launched itself at Jared’s feet but he did not move away.

“There you are,” Jared cooed and picked Suya up carefully, though the kitten squirmed at first. Tiny, rough licks were planted on Jared’s nose and chin until the kitten had enough and flailed in Jared’s hold. “Yes, alright,” the young breeder laughed, placing Suya down. “Go on. Come back later.”

Not long after, the Judge arrived from his patrol. He greeted everyone cheerfully, looked more well-rested than he had in a while. It pleased Jared to see him ask Nicky if she needed anything, if she was comfortable. He asked the same questions to Jared and Mioh. A bowl of apples was passed around. Jared took two, hoping to save one for Jensen, who still had not returned from the lake. His duties seemed to please him greatly, providing physical work and exercise, as well as quiet time in the company of a beta he seemed to trust.

“There’s Jeff,” Nicky murmured to Jared, taking a bite out of her apple. “He’s speaking with one of the female betas.”

“That’s Sue,” Mioh whispered to them. “She flirts with _everyone_. Can’t blame her though. Your brother… my god, makes my jeans tighter.”

Jared wanted to ask how Jeff could possibly make anyone’s article of clothing fit unwell, but he soon realized what the remark meant and blushed. Nicky quipped at Mioh but shared a secret smile with him, which caused Jared to ask for a change of subject.

“Fine, don’t let me talk about how hot your brother is,” the young cat sighed. “Can we talk about how hot your mate is? I never thought freckles were hot before but I bet he has them all over.”

“Excuse me!” the Judge interrupted, frowning slightly. “Why can’t this conversation include me? Surely there are some features of mine you could make inappropriately sexual remarks about. I am _right_ here, you know.”

Giggles and sly smiles and a remark about the Judge’s mouth were interrupted by Jensen’s arrival. The beta he trusted—Gannon—was at his side, looking displeased.

“You should sit further up,” Gannon grumbled to Jensen. “You’re honored guests, not fuckin’ back of the house attendees.”

Instead of chairs, logs were set up around the fire pit, at least ten circular rows from the center out. In human form, the Alpha stood in the center, closest to the fire, with Madison and Dustin near him. About half the Pride was in cat form; everyone took places close to each other. Jared and Nicky had instinctively taken seats towards the back and Mioh had not commented on their decision.

“The back is better, Gannon,” Mioh argued, meeting the beta’s gaze. “They’ll hear just fine from here.”

The older beta raised an eyebrow as he lit up a cigarette. “Oh? And if they need to speak up? Will we hear them just fine?”

“Everyone will wait until after the meeting to voice their concerns, if there are any.” Mioh spoke with confidence, annoyed at Gannon’s tone.

“Right,” Gannon muttered. “Y’all don’t interrupt the Alpha—but anyone else who speaks? If they get too crazy with their ideas, you speak up. They’ll try to shoot you down at first but the point of a meeting is for everyone’s voice to be heard. Guests in-fucking-cluded. See y’all after. Jensen.” Gannon nodded to Jared’s Master and left, taking his seat near the Alpha’s group in the center.

Jared asked if Gannon also held a special position within the Pride, since his seat suggested such a thing. Jensen wrapped an arm around Jared, Nicky having scooted over a little to make room. Jeff eventually made his own way over and sat on the empty log in front of them, snapping at the Judge to quit kicking him.

“He don’t look it,” Jensen said tiredly, his accent coming through, “but he’s their chief strategic commander.”

“A fisherman?” Jared inquired softly, placing a hand on Jensen’s knee.

A small kiss was pressed to Jared’s temple. “Yes, Jay.”

Any other questions were placed on hold; the Alpha called the meeting to order. 


	31. Challenges

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Pride meeting does not go well, with a beta challenging their stay. An ambassador from another Pride arrives.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhh! Moving along! 
> 
> We're going to get into a more sci-fi spin in the next portion of the story. :D
> 
> I liked this chapter a lot--so much fun bringing everything together. Teo goes by they pronouns right now, but as will be explained in the next chapter, Teo has a different identity than what we have seen until now. 
> 
> Kudos, comments, etc. are greatly appreciated! You are all wonderful! <3

Jensen:

His day had been spent planning.

He had been informed of the Pride meeting when he met Gannon at the lake. As they readied the boat, they discussed why the meeting had been called.

“Your arrival calls for an impromptu one,” the beta had explained, sharing a cigarette with Jensen. “We have one every two months. Last one was… chaotic. We lost two betas.”

“There’s violence in a meeting?”

“No, just stupidity,” Gannon grumbled. “Three betas, ones who had been born here, didn’t feel that Ilia should be Alpha. Two left the Pride. You ask me, we’re better off without ‘em. You plannin’ on workin’ or just watching my ass work?”

Jensen jumped in at that point, moving faster, but listened to Gannon continue explaining the situation. The three betas held what most of the Pride considered old fashioned ideologies about omegas being unqualified leaders. One of their foundational arguments was that someone carrying children couldn’t possibly make split decisions that would require brutal force. Hunting was one thing; leading the Pride into war over boundaries or territories, should there ever be a need, was a different matter. Of course the fact that Ilia couldn’t physically bear children had been brought up, which had been painful but necessary to overturn some of that argument.

Out on the lake, which was tranquil and still, the beta recalled in careful detail every challenge brought forth against Ilia and his supporters. He outlined the way an Alpha was chosen. Any member of the Pride that had been there for more than ten years was eligible to fight for the position. The prior Alpha—Tab had been his name—had ruled over the Lake Claiborne Pride for twenty years until falling ill.

“Alphas rule until death, with a successor chosen twenty-four hours after their passing. Tab was a tough old beta and a strict but firm Alpha. Before him was a female beta, Elva. I forget who was before her, but this Pride has had a history of steady Alphas. Some Prides…” Gannon’s tone quieted and he cast off. “Ain’t been so lucky.”

“You come from one of those Prides?” Jensen asked, keeping his voice polite.

Gannon’s shoulders bristled. “Something like that.”

In the past, two omegas had tried out for Alpha and lost. Since it seemed to be a beta position, very few omegas tried out. “Old Tab was fond of Ilia, thought of him like a son in his own way. It’s important for Alphas not to play favorites. Y’know, can’t put one ahead of the Pride.” Gannon steered them to another part of the lake, further out. Jensen wasn’t afraid. There weren’t many that he trusted yet in this Pride but Gannon was one of them. Being a Captain in charge of a crew had given him a good sense of character. “Ilia was tough when he got here but not a match for a trained beta. Tab trained him, nearly beat him unconscious once. Tough love, shit like that.”

“You don’t have to beat someone to train them,” Jensen grumbled.

The beta looked at him for a moment, his eyes careful and perceptive. “No. You don’t. But you do if they need to fight like that. I’ll spare you the details. Alpha contestants are pitted against each other after they complete a run to Driskill and back. Anyone left with enough strength after a fifty mile run gets a chance to fight. The first round is in human form and the last round—with two remaining contestants—is in cat form.”

“You didn’t try out?”

“Nah.”

There was something more there but Jensen left it alone. “You don’t fight to the death, do you?”

“Nearly. Most cats don’t give up until they’re bleeding and fucked up but they’re smart enough not to bow down before it’s too late. You lie down and bare your neck to your competitor, y’know, sign of respect and submission. Louis held out a long time, until he saw Ilia would kill him.”

The rules seemed simple but vicious. “You think he would have?”

There was a hook on the line and Gannon pulled it up, handling it with practiced ease. “Two bites away from it, yeah. He’d have done it. Louis was the main protestor, of course, along with Ernest, who also left. Now, who you got to look out for tonight, that’s your problem.”

He had spent as much time as possible thinking through options on the lake. He asked a few more questions from Gannon, receiving honest and straight forward answers in return. Jensen had reached a decision the night before as they sat in the armchair after dinner. But he was hesitant. He was making a choice for all of them because he knew Jeff and Misha would protest it. But it had to be done. It was the only permanent resolution, the only way any of them would be allowed peace.

Sitting on a log in the company of his party, Jensen sighed. The meeting was not going well.

Eloi was the beta Gannon had pointed out—a large white guy with a shaved head and mean looking tattoos. He hadn’t chosen an omega mate yet, but the snippets that Jensen overheard from Mioh proved that no omegas were lining up for the guy.

“Mom says you should choose a mate who respects you,” Mioh whispered to Jared. “Eloi respects his own interests.”

The Alpha opened up discussion about them, asking for respectful conversations, which had been occurring until Eloi took command. He silenced all other voices of the Pride—the Alpha never took his eyes off him—and shouted about how they had all been exposed to danger by the decision of the Alpha to take in strangers to whom they owed nothing.

“You have all put your cubs at risk by allowing these freeloaders to occupy our lands. You have opened up our homes—everything we hold dear—by allowing the one you call Alpha to accept them without question, to house them without hesitance, near our omega houses no less!” Murmuring throughout the Pride grew louder and some turned to look at them. Jensen felt Jared’s grip on him strengthen.

“I am not going to sit here and be intimidated by this asshole!” Jensen hissed, ready to stand up and shout.

“Sit down,” Jeff snapped, keeping his voice lowered. “It isn’t our place to speak at the moment, even if he _is_ a pile of shit.”

“I disagree,” Misha said, surprising everyone. “The Alpha can’t expect us to sit here and be publically slandered?”

When Eloi spoke about the breeders having children and mixing weres with humans, Jensen could no longer remain silent, politics and politeness or not. He stood up and started shouting back that they had not been granted asylum solely by the Alpha, that there had been discussion within the Pride before the final decision was made, and that every single one of them earned their keep.

“You have no right to speak,” Eloi yelled from his place near the fire pit, his face red and sweating. “Sit down or we will remove you.”

Jensen opened his mouth to cuss out the beta, but another beat him to it.

“You speak like that to our guests again and I’ll fuckin’ punch you so hard that mouth of yours won’t see solid food for a year!” Gannon interrupted, his voice thundering through the fire pit. “You wanna follow the fuckin’ rules, Eloi, fine. _I_ got the right to speak, as a member of this Pride, and I have to say—I’m fuckin’ ashamed to sit with y’all right now. How dare you—how dare any of you—even think to deny omegas and their mates refuge.”

“You would expose the entire Pride to chaos! See us all imprisoned!” Eloi countered.

“Yes!” Gannon snarled, pointing his cigarette at everyone. “I would see us all—myself included—fall before I became someone who watched his own back like a coward when others came to me for help. You’re lookin’ for any excuse to oust Ilia out and I see you, you fucker. I fuckin’ _see_ you and you’ll have to do better than this.”

The fire crackled in the center; every member of the Pride remained still and silent for one second.

Gannon continued speaking; the sun was about to set.

“We’ve had our faith broken in this Pride by Doc Gilbert last year. But I swear on my dying breath—may I never have the honor of my bones burned—that I would lay down my life for any omega. That includes one who isn’t from our Pride, isn’t from our world. If we turn them away then we are no better than Doc Gilbert, or Louis, or Ernest, or _you_.” He pointed at Eloi. “Is this how we want to raise our young? To become betas as selfish and narrow-minded as _him_? Yes, there are dangers but there have always been dangers. We do not live alone, despite our territory. If not this danger then another. And if you have the nerve to dismiss these individuals, then I want nothin’ to fuckin’ do with you.”

There was a pause only to take in a breath, before continuing, while Eloi began to look increasingly uncomfortable.

“Think of it,” Gannon implored, “think of your mate not only whipped and beaten but worse. Taught that they are less than human, that they function for one, sole, unchangeable purpose. Think of every freedom you have now, omegas, think of it all stripped away from you until you’re chained to a post for days on end just because he didn’t like the way you prepared dinner. Think of every omega not just captured—enslaved. Worn down until their bodies are left to rot in a pit, never to know the rest of death, the release of our ashes into the soil. Bellies and wombs cut open. Piles of bodies smeared with dirt and long dried blood. Think of every beta you know forced to watch the pit turned and dug deeper, opened wider for the next dumping of bodies.”

“That’s enough!” the Alpha hollered. “Gannon, there are children here.”

“They need to know! You all need to know. It’s not enough to say that these omegas were mistreated. It isn’t. It isn’t anything like you might think of here.”

“You know an awful lot about their world,” Eloi weakly muttered. “Can you give an unbiased opinion if you have spent so much time with these strangers?”

The sound of a car engine approaching the fire pit interrupted everything. The Alpha walked through and out of the pit, pausing only slightly near Gannon and snapping a quick, “We’ll speak later.” Jensen pulled Jared up to his feet—everyone stood up. Their presence here was not as stable as they had thought; it was best to pack and be prepared to leave before things got ugly.

“I… I had never seen a pit,” Jensen heard Nicky confide to Misha, the two of them holding hands. “So the stories were true.”

“Yes,” Misha replied, grief in his voice. “It wasn’t just a scare tactic. They were real. But… Captain? The only individuals who had access to the pits were Masters of title. Any living breeder who saw the pit… never… he could not have found out about the pits by speaking to Nicky or Jared. I did not say anything about them to the Alpha or him.”

“Nor I,” Jeff added. They all stood in a protective circle around Jared and Nicky. Mioh had gone to accompany the Alpha, along with Madison and Dustin. Gannon was in the circle, speaking to other betas, glancing over at Jensen twice.

“I never saw one in person, just had your account,” he muttered quietly. “This has all gone to hell. What the fuck is going on now?”

In the end, it was the young omega who ran over, breathless, to tell them the news.

“Ambassadors from the urban Pride in New Orleans have arrived,” Mioh announced to them. “They’ve come to meet you.”

Jensen wanted to be in the armchair in front of the fireplace again.

He wanted to be in their bed, Jared soft and warm beside him. Not here.

The crowd that had formed in front of them spread out as the Alpha walked through, beside him someone new. They were petite, with a lean, slender frame and at least a foot shorter than Jensen. Their outfit was flashier than anything he’d ever seen a member of this Pride wear—dark, sleek boots, fitted black jeans, and a loose but intricately adorned charcoal gray shirt, with dozens of bracelets and necklaces and a large earring in their left ear, made of something that shone like silver. Even with all this finery, Jensen did not miss the machete that hung from their hips and the gun strapped to their left thigh. Their skin was two shades darker than the Alpha’s, and their hair shorter, about Jared’s length, with thick, light brown curls. Of course, they possessed the same threatening grace any were had.

“Guests,” the Alpha proclaimed, stopping in front of their party, “this is my friend and our ally from the New Orleans Pride. Teo, these are our guests.” The Alpha took the time to introduce them all individually; the ambassador shook their hands, bowing in front of Nicky and Jared.

With a smile that showed teeth, their sharp eyes took them all in, assessing in a manner Jensen was familiar with—they were measuring them up.

“Greetings. I seem to have interrupted your meeting.”

“A welcome interruption,” the Alpha sighed. “You arrived earlier than expected.”

Teo smirked, blue eyes bright. “Yes, well, I had Brighton step on the gas.” They turned towards Jared and Nicky. “You are much lovelier in person than the Alpha could describe. Words do you no justice.”

“Can we get back to the meeting?!” Eloi protested.

“Good to see you too, Eloi,” Teo called out, waving, fingers fluttering. “Lovely to see that your manners have improved since my last visit. What are we doing at the back of the circle? Come, if you please, follow me. Do not worry,” they said to Jensen and Misha, “I only mean to borrow.”

“Jensen,” Jared started, worry in his eyes at being separated.

He was torn. He did not know Teo or trust him, but the Alpha did. What more could be said about their party that had not already been shouted? Jensen followed halfway, Jeff and Misha not far from him, watching everyone carefully. His entire body was tense, muscles wound up and ready to act. Teo linked arms with both breeders and brought them to the center of the circle, nearest to the pit. The Alpha stood by with a line of beta captains near, Gannon included.

Looking out at the crowd with a commanding presence despite their size, Teo spoke clearly.

“Salutations from your allies to the South, greetings and well-wishes from New Orleans. Our Alpha sends her blessing to your Alpha and Pride. I have been called here as ambassador upon hearing the news of the arrival of these remarkable individuals. I stand before you now to declare that if you will not provide safe harbor to them, their mates, and their children, our Pride will. If you turn them away our Alpha has declared her willingness to challenge the Lake Claiborne Pride. A unanimous vote was taken two nights ago: support these omegas or be prepared to fight our Pride.”

A rush of murmurs throughout the crowd erupted. Eloi shouted and argued until the Alpha commanded him to shut up.

“Does anyone else in this Pride have a problem with our guests remaining here?” the Alpha called out, hands on his hips, stance wide and confident. “Yes, the danger to house them has increased. I have been nothing but honest about what has happened since they arrived. Birds are dying in the forest, their bodies found in strange patterns. Leaves of black walnut trees are rotting. Rabbits are dying in their holes, untouched but suffocated. The storm that hit the lake when they arrived has never happened before or since. The thing that appeared from the tree line has been disposed of but we continue to search for answers. I have always been open to your questions, to your doubts, to your fears. Now is the time to voice any you have not yet said.”

Only one beta, someone Jensen did not know, stood up and voiced their concern about the masked official. How would they be able to stop more bodies from appearing? Patrols were not a solution to the larger problem at hand.

Jensen stood on a log. Now was the time. Now or never.

He looked out over the group of cats, humans, and his own people.

“I have a solution,” he revealed, trying to keep his voice steady. “I have a way to close this world off completely from anyone—good or bad.”

Jeff and Misha tugged at him; he shrugged them off and met the Alpha’s look directly.

“I know a way.”


	32. Clearance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jared and Jensen come back to their residence at the end of the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sex in this chapter! specific warnings for: explicit sex, anal sex, milking, squirting, multiple orgasms. if you don't want to read the smut you can scroll down to the last paragraph and not miss too much. 
> 
> i really struggled with where to go with this chapter. my writer's block this week has been awful. the sex scene here was unexpected but fun to write. for those of you hoping for more sex between our heroes in this verse, you will like this. <3
> 
> and woo, a turning point! more explanation about plot based things in the next chapter. 
> 
> kudos, comments, etc. are all greatly appreciated. thank you for reading.

Midnight found them in bed.

Begging for the touch of their flesh, Jared opened and offered himself up completely.

His Master was rough and commanding, taking, pulling, grasping, gasping and looming over. His knees bent and back bowed he prayed before Jared, mouth trailing the long stretch of the young breeder’s chest, middle, and hips. There was only a little tease, a little bite, a little pressure that built into desperation and need. Like the instrument Jensen played, Jared’s body was strummed.

And like the songs he sang to that instrument, Jensen’s voice was drawn out.

Twining together, pushing against the mattress, their mouths sought each other. Kissing had never meant much to the young breeder. It was merely a form of seduction, of arousal. But here, under the plush lips of his Master, he discovered that kisses were messages. He understood most of what was trying to be told to him in silent abundance. The moon on Jensen’s skin was radiant.

They tumbled in their bed, the blankets and sheets twisting with them for a while until being completely shucked off. Jared ended up on top, pushing his hips back against the hard and heavy cock he craved. His mouth watered and his eyes fluttered, breathing hitched because of the angle he saw Jensen at. Large, firm hands were on his hips, groping until fingers slipped under and inside.

Following a rhythm natural to them, Jared opened his thighs and set his hands down on Jensen’s chest. He flipped his hair out of his eyes and steadied himself.

This was going to be hard and fast and deep.

He pushed his hips down, taking in the swell and curve of Jensen’s cock in easy.

Movement was necessary; Jared rode without hesitation. He slammed down repeatedly, shoulders arching, the small of his back moving in tight circles, the line of his throat stretching as he tossed his head back to call out how deep the cock inside him felt. Slick pushed out heavy and thick, causing Jensen’s cock to slide in with repeated loud squelches.

Jensen moved his hands from Jared’s hips to hold Jared’s hands, allowing the young breeder to steady himself that way. Pushing against Jensen, Jared panted with exertion. The beat inside his head pounded in his chest, thrummed from the base of his spine to every fingertip. When their eyes meet, Jared shuddered and looked away. Too much. He didn’t want to come so soon.

He then did the unexpected. He let go of Jensen’s hands and got off his lap.

Before Jensen could properly protest or inquire about what was happening, Jared swung his legs over and around until he was kneeling once more, this time facing away from Jensen. He steadied himself with one hand on Jensen’s thigh while his other hand reached behind him to hold Jensen’s cock as he sank down on it inch by inch. A string of curses escaped Jensen’s mouth, his legs bucking and cock twitching in response when Jared’s hips were fully seated. A breeder’s hips were wider than a Master’s hips naturally; Jensen seemed to appreciate this and Jared took pleasure in his earnest appreciation.

Up and down, Jared worked his hips, pushing himself back and forth with enough force that had them both gasping for breath. When he paused his rapid pace it was to lift his hips far enough so that only the head of Jensen’s cock remained inside, bloated and sensitive to the added pressure around it. The whine Jensen let out was well worth it.

Jared leaned forward towards his knees until the tip was just barely inside him. He rocked back in one, swift movement, straightened his spine and moaned as he felt a thick release of slick. With every push down, he rocked backwards, until Jensen sat up part way, held Jared’s thighs open, and thrust up.

There was no shout to pull out this time. Jared closed his eyes and shouted something unintelligible as he felt the tip of Jensen’s cock push against that second spot. He rocked forward in Jensen’s lap and felt himself squirt around his Master’s cock, inner walls clenching tightly, spasming as Jensen insisted on hitting that spot again and again.

A cry was given from the young breeder; a cry for more, always more, always over again.

Although he trembled, Jared broke away from Jensen’s hold and started riding at his own pace once more. He stretched his arms up, held them behind his head as he worked Jensen’s cock using only his hips. Push, push, push, down and up. Pull, pull, pull, twist and around.

This Master taught him how to crave.

He used Jensen’s cock to get off once more, coming against and around it, this time releasing a spurt of milk from his own cock. Jensen wrapped his right hand around Jared’s cock and milked, rough and hard, until Jared was shouting, fucking into that hand, begging for Jensen to come. Using the muscles in his legs, Jared built up the momentum, arching his back, pleasing himself at the same time. He changed the angle of his hips and Jensen’s cock, his ass bouncing harder off of Jensen’s hips.

Pounding, driving them together harder, Jared matched the ferocity of his heartbeat.

Down, down, down, down.

“Coming!” Jensen groaned and went rigid, twisting, his legs kicking reflexively.

The throb and twitch of Jensen’s cock, combined with the feeling of come filling him up excited Jared. He wanted to feel this the next day. He wanted the burn, the pain, the sweet stickiness.

They could find him.

But no one could ever hurt him in the same delicate way this hurt.

Even after his orgasm, Jensen knew how to stretch Jared out to his final limit, thrusting up, pressing against that soft, tender place until the young breeder felt something in his chest curl and snap.

They could come for him in droves.

With their electric sticks and black gloves and threats of a pit so large, so deep light never shone in or out of it they could come.

Because he came. Hard and screaming, sweating and panting.

He came for himself and for _his_ Jensen.

There were many ways to use that word—came—and Jared embraced it.

Let them come.

Because he had.

And that was more than he could have ever hoped for.

 

 

The vote had been postponed.

A smaller, private meeting held in the Alpha’s residence had given Jensen time to introduce a plan that required breaking into his world of origin and stealing something called an Aorta—a key-like object that would seal this world off from any and all time travelers forever.

However, a test run by Jeff and the Judge proved that Jensen no longer held his Captain’s rank and therefore, the proper security clearance, which was based on both a retinal scan and fingerprints. That was the only way to access the Council headquarters and the room where the Aortas were kept. Neither the Judge nor Jeff had had high enough ranks to earn clearance.

But someone else in their party had matched Jensen’s rank.

And the Alpha had voted _him_ Captain of the team to be sent.

Jared had clearance.

It had never been wiped after his death—an oversight, a blessing, a small miracle.

They had gone to bed desperate and arguing and voracious. Jensen was not pleased—he did not want to risk the young breeder’s life—he insisted that they try to find another way. Jared refused to disobey the Alpha or change the plan—he wanted his Master to respect him now, in some small way similar to the respect that had been held for old Jared. This was his opportunity.

Jensen fell asleep first.

Jared kept a steady watch of his Master, studying the rise and fall of his chest, tracing the delicate bones there with his fingers. A different rhythm coursed through him, haunting and familiar, strange and lovely all at once.

“No one’s gonna fool around with us,” Jared whispered before settling into their bed.

All their secret wishes could come true.

 


	33. Here

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jared wakes up early but falls back asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tiny chapter <3

The next morning, Jared woke up at dawn.

He woke up in a manner that pleased him; it settled something in his chest.

Moving closer to Jensen, he closed his eyes once more.

Everything was still and silent within their residence. The first orange threads of sunlight poked through the curtains of their room. Their bed was messy and rumpled and warm. Jensen’s arms were wrapped around him and they lay chest to chest. How happy the rhythmic rise and fall of someone's chest could be. How grateful he felt for the simplicity of rest. There was no pallet, no closet, no piece of floor for Jared here. There were no pillows, no posts, no cages, no whips, no machines. No shame.

There was his place here and only here.

He had been lonely for so long.


	34. More

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jared has a small visitor then receives a disturbing warning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> warnings for some horror elements and shadows.
> 
> also warnings for cute kitten fluff. 
> 
> more in a bit! <333
> 
> comments, kudos, etc. are truly appreciated. thank you for reading!

Not all mated coupes were beta and omega pairs.

Nor were all mated pairs encouraged, one way or another, to be of a certain pairing. A Pride maintained a delicate balance of having enough offspring to continue the bloodline and the Pride itself. However, being able to provide for future generations was a concern. Overpopulation happened more frequently than the extinction of a Pride, yet remedies for that were not as easy to come by. The lands each Pride occupied were regarded as sacred; their soil, forests, and bodies of water were to be respected. Each hunting party and every fisherman had specific training against overhunting and overfishing. Older generations and more experienced members of the Pride passed this knowledge down visually, by showing them out in the field, but the Alpha did keep a written record of their methods as well as a track of the most hunted areas.

In this Pride, there were three omega-omega couples and two beta-beta couples. These cats mated with each other to produce offspring if they wanted—which two couples had—and shared parenting responsibilities between both pairs. Kittens born at around the same time were raised by their parents and watched over by other omegas from time to time. These kittens were raised like brothers and sisters; littermates developed a close bond over the years.

Because Suya was a foundling, a stray that had been found at the borders of their lands, he had no set littermates and initially had trouble fitting in with the kittens around his age. This hadn’t mattered to the Alpha—the kitten would acclimate well enough as he grew up.

What worried the Alpha was Suya’s hesitance to shift. No one had seen the kitten shift to his human form ever. At first it was regarded as a defense mechanism, or shyness, but at six months it was no longer a minor detail. Dustin and Ms. Deb had looked over the kitten, proclaimed him healthy, if a little big for his age group, and predicted he would be a large cat as an adult. Most cats were six feet long from head to tail; larger individuals measured anywhere from seven to eight feet, with smaller cats on the opposite end at four to five feet.

The possibility that perhaps they had rescued a regular mountain lion without shifting capabilities had been raised. Feral mountain lions were rare but known to happen; however, they usually knew to respect the borders of were Prides just like wolves in the area. Still, feral cats smelled different than a were, and each Pride had a distinctive scent to them as a whole. Suya smelled like a were; his scent would change when he was a year old. Each kitten was determined to be beta or omega based on their scent. An omega’s ability to bear life affected their scent. Anyone without that scent was automatically a beta.

While no one could really predict Suya’s scent, the Alpha had once told Jared that it didn’t matter to anyone how Suya would be ranked as long as he was healthy. For the time being, until they could figure out the kitten’s mysterious resistance to shifting, the Alpha determined it would be good to help his shyness.

Suya was anything but shy with Jared. As soon as Jared opened the front door to their residence to sweep out some dust, cleaning while Jensen got ready, the kitten barreled through. He collided with Jared’s feet then got distracted by the bristles of the broom. Pawing and pouncing, Suya purred loudly. The young breeder laughed and knelt down, scooting the kitten away from the dust and scooping him up. For once, the kitten didn’t squirm as he was held.

“Oh, so you _want_ to be held,” Jared murmured, cradling the kitten in his arms. “I think I can do that.”

It never failed to amaze Jared how warm the kitten was. How could something so small produce so much heat? And be so soft? Scratching at Suya’s chin and whiskers, Jared hummed softly, a smile never leaving his face. It felt right, to be like this. It felt good and he did not question it. Suya looked up at him with innocent eyes, meowing happily, or what Jared assumed was happily.

“I don’t speak kitten just yet,” the young breeder whispered. “But I can learn. Are you hungry?”

Another meow and Jared still had no idea what to do but the kitten didn’t seem to be in pain, so he assumed Suya wanted something, or, was simply meowing to be vocal. When Jared scritched at the kitten’s spotted belly, nothing seemed wrong. Playfully, Suya batted at Jared’s hand, leaving tiny scratch marks behind but Jared didn’t mind. Suya seemed content enough to lie in his arms and be pet for once, instead of running around and chasing after Jared’s feet.

“Jay? You seen my vest?” Jensen called from their room.

“I have, I’ll be right there.” Carefully, he placed Suya down, petting his head before leaving. “Stay here, please. When I come back we can all have breakfast together.”

As he helped Jensen find his vest—odd, he didn’t remember putting it in the drawers—he hoped Jensen wouldn’t mind the kitten in their household. Although he meant to walk first and introduce Suya properly, he was distracted by his shadow. He was nearly used to it flickering, as it did so constantly. However, as Jensen left the room, he stood transfixed, watching his shadow grow in size until it reached the ceiling of their room. Looming above Jared it stayed completely solid—not one flicker—until it morphed and manipulated its head, turning slowly at first to the side. The young breeder took an instinctive step backwards but the shadow only swelled in size. A scream in his chest remained lodged there; how could anyone escape their own shadow?

His hands flew to his chest and his shadow refused to mimic the motion.

Instead, it stretched its arms out on either side of itself. The edges of it rippled for a few seconds.

Then its neck snapped.

The shadow’s head lolled and the rest of its limbs twitched in response.

Jared screamed—it kept standing there, head hanging, and the belly of it swelling and thinning over and over again. Each of its fingers were broken, twisted like branches, and when a mouth opened up in the center of its chest, Jared acted.

In one clean movement he took the hidden dagger from his trousers and stabbed his shadow in the chest. The wall splintered.

Each breeder had been given a blade the night before under the orders of the Alpha.

Jared’s shadow disappeared. It was gone.

He turned to the door, where Jensen stood, looking confused and concerned. “Jay? What happened? Are you okay? Jay?”

Panting, Jared nodded. Had he not actually done it, he might not believe that he had reacted that way. Imagine, he thought for a second, a breeder not only _owning_ a weapon, but using it! There was no explanation for what had just happened and he was in shock and he knew that it could only mean something horrible but he was distracted.

“Why is there a baby in your arms, Jensen?” he asked, surprised to see a very naked and very real baby in Jensen’s arms. Both baby and Master looked uncomfortable; Jensen wasn’t holding him properly.

“I asked you from the living room,” Jensen replied, moving the baby in his arms. “I walked out there and there’s a baby on the floor.”

“Suya!” the young breeder gasped and rushed forward, momentarily forgetting about the dagger in the wall or its purpose there. “You’ve shifted! How happy for you!” He scooped Suya out of Jensen’s arms and held him close. Lightly kissing the top of Suya’s head, which was covered in thick, wavy black hair, Jared could not help the smile on his face. The purring had been replaced with gurgling, cooing noises and the claws replaced by tiny fingernails on chubby fingers. Suya had the most wonderful smell, like fresh grass and flowers.

The sound of Jensen clearing his throat caused Jared to look up.

“We… we should get him back to the Alpha,” Jensen murmured. “And to report what just happened.”

“Yes, of course,” he agreed and followed after but stopped at the little yellow room. He hesitated for a moment but ducked in quickly. His list was gone but he wasn’t overly concerned about it—he had memorized it well—but everything else was still in its place. When he met Jensen at their front door a minute later he surprised himself—he was not a mess of tears or trembling from what had happened.

Smiling at Jensen, he cradled Suya close.

“I could not return him naked,” he whispered to Jensen as they walked out.

It wasn’t much, just a plain pair of swaddling clothes that were a little too small, but Jared was content to have Suya wear it.

There would be others and he had time to make more.

He hoped this was true for all things. 


	35. Origins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The plan is discussed and theories laid down. Information about one person is revealed that changes everything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you for your patience! i worked really hard to finish They Met and focus on one large project at a time. now i'm back to Your Law, with Punzel on the side. :D 
> 
> we get to dig deeper and finally get into some action in the next few chapters! a warning though: next chapter is very dark. be sure to read those warnings.
> 
> thank you for hanging in there! <3

Nicky was the most vocal against Jared leaving.

The older breeder maintained that they had been through enough, that there was no guarantee Jared’s clearance would work in the Council headquarters, and that they were not trained soldiers. Although she expressed to Jared her belief in his abilities, she was adamant about them finding another way.

Another large problem of the plan was explained to them by Teo, who turned out to be a longtime friend of the Alpha. After brief congratulations to the Alpha and Dustin for Suya’s shift, everyone had sat down to discuss matters. Nicky made her opinions clear and Teo proceeded to point out the faults in the original plan.

“It’s not simply a matter of closing us off and keeping anything out… or in, for that matter,” Teo detailed to the party, the Alpha, and the three betas—Gannon, Dustin, and Madison. “My concern is, from what everyone has explained to me and the communication I have received from your Alpha, that closing is not enough. I have seen this once before and it while it was not in the same circumstance, the signs match up to a large degree.”

“The Aorta will work,” Jensen insisted from his place beside Jared. “If there is another plan that would keep Jared safe, I would have suggested that first. But we need a permanent solution.”

Teo nodded and looked to the Alpha, who nodded for them to continue. “Exactly, I agree. However, because whatever we do will be permanent—irreversible, really—all the extra care should be given.” A map with detailed notes was unfurled and presented on the table for everyone. “This is everything that has happened, to my understanding, concerning odd events and possible signs. Our first sign began with the lake itself, which has never seen such violent activity before or since. That started precisely an hour before either omega landed, according to the betas I have personally interviewed. The second sign would be the manner of your arrival—you were separated, but I believe intentionally so. You claimed there was interference and I think it was deliberate to separate the omegas from yourselves. Whoever did so knew that neither omega could swim, however, they did not account for one omega knowing how.” Teo smiled at Nicky and she nodded. Jeff asked her how she had learned.

At first she seemed hesitant to share, but she looked at the Judge and he nodded. She would not be punished—the reassurance was priceless.

“Eli taught me how, in a small pond at the far end of his property in Meridian. Sometimes… he held me down…not as anything mean but he wanted to make sure I could get out. I learned fast.” The older breeder avoided looking at anyone. Jared wanted to hold her near but they were seated at opposite sides of the Alpha’s dining room table. He was relieved when the Judge placed a hand over hers.

The Alpha and Teo seemed alarmed by her account, but Jared noticed that Gannon’s expression did not change.

Pointing to another part of the map with small but slender fingers, Teo continued. “In my opinion, since they were unsuccessful in that aspect, they began another plan. You say that your shadows flickering are warnings, correct?” The Masters all nodded but the Judge added that the warnings were never specific and held no specific information. Teo countered that if that was the case, then their shadows could easily be manipulated. Instead of acting as real warnings, they acted as threats.

“My point is, and this is what I have seen before, that they have formed a psychological hold in each of you. Therefore, it is not only a physical link that must be broken, but something deeper. Closing the doors to this world won’t severe the connection they have in your minds. You have all at some point expressed hallucinations, hearing voices and seeing things from the past that are not really there. And… it is clear to me that the strongest hold they have is on Jared.”

After a brief pause, Dustin spoke up. “What does the hold mean?” he asked from his place beside the Alpha. Suya had been sent off with Mioh and Ms. Deb.

Teo frowned and folded up their map. “Well, I… I don’t mean to cause alarm but I will be blunt: they want Jared dead. They want all of you dead. Especially after what Jared shared with me before this meeting, what he saw happen to his shadow. He is truly the center of all of this and in their point of view, the most dangerous and necessary component to their revenge. There must then be a second layer to our plan, but this is all made very complicated my multiple aspects. I urge us all to take caution in whatever choices we make and I support Nicky’s insistence for an alternative plan.”

Once again, Jensen insisted that there would be no other way to prevent more officials from slipping through and into this world. Time travel was new but it only worked in so many ways. There were smaller steps to start with if one wanted to close a world, yet those would only buy them time they did not have.

The older breeder interrupted him and stood up. “I don’t like this plan! You’re going to end up using Jared as bait by sending him out there! You of all people should know better!”

Trying to understand where both Nicky and Jensen were coming from, Jared could not reach a conclusion about what was better until he saw a long jagged scar on the back of Jensen’s arm that he hadn’t seen before. It was silver, clearly old, but whether it was from his time in space as Captain or his time with Jared now, it was a turning point for the young breeder. Jared wanted to insist that he was still determined to go. He wanted the respect of his Master and the opportunity to prove that he belonged by his side. He would not be the simpering symbol of a first breeder growing fat and lazy while his Master fought for the safety of others. And if there was a part for him to play in ensuring freedom for those who had protected him and his companions, then he would have it.

However, he did not have a chance to speak.

The beta Gannon interjected, standing near Nicky, shouting, “We haven’t got time for squabblin’! If you are so against this plan, come up with somethin’ else! If we don’t act _now_ we are all fuckin’ ruined. Alpha, they number too many—even if we had our allies to the South. Every day there is more death and decay in the forest and I find more fish decapitated in the lake, their heads sawed off with the same burn marks as we found on the body. I volunteer as one of the party to defend the omega but we have to fuckin’ call a decision!”

“I won’t risk Jared’s life to please you or anyone else!” Nicky yelled back, unafraid of the distance between her and the beta. She had never been one to shy away from confrontation, and though she was uncertain of how far the Judge would let her go, her defiance would be well worth it.

Slamming his fist on the table, Gannon snarled, closing the distance between them to an inch. “How many pups did you lose? Ten? Twenty? How many did you send off into the black hands of the government? Do you want that to happen all over again? This is the _only_ way and you know it.”

Even the quick reflexes of the Alpha weren’t fast enough to hold Nicky back.

She slapped Gannon, the sound of it cracking through the room. Her hand was firm and steady enough that his nose bled from the force of it. As he ducked to catch the spray of blood, she shoved him backwards. “No _one_ speaks about my pups! Not you or _any_ of you!” She looked around the room, fury and grief in her eyes to everyone but Jared. He hadn’t bred as many pups as she had, but he knew what she felt. Gannon had struck too low in too sensitive of a place.

“Alpha,” Dustin said, the first to break the silence. “Should I…?”

“No,” the Alpha sighed dismissively. “He got what he deserved, let him bleed it out. Now is as good a time as ever to question you anyway, Gannon. First, apologize to Nicky and Jared.”

When Gannon did not speak, the Alpha commanded him once again, this time his tone caused Jared to shudder and huddle closer to Jensen. The beta muttered out an apology. Before the Alpha could snap at him to redo it, Nicky insisted she did not want to hear anything else from the beta except for how he knew the things he did.

The tension in the room bothered Jared. He wanted to smooth everything out and settle things fairly; it was in his nature, he supposed. Gannon did not start speaking until each Master rose and stood before him, silently demanding answers. Jensen looked upset; Jared knew he had trusted the beta since they had spent some time together.

With a sigh, Gannon looked down at the floor. His face and front were bloody and his cheek had turned purple where Nicky had struck him. The Judge was holding her hand now, running his thumb back and forth over her palm. Such a small but important action.

“There are millions of planets out there, each with their own world, how do y’all think you stumbled here? By chance? Fuck. There’s no such thing, not a god damned thing,” the beta started, his voice thick.

“We searched specifically for a world like this one,” Jeff stated with his arms over his chest.

Gannon huffed. “There are thousands of worlds with variations of omegas or breeders or birthers or creators, whatever you want to call ‘em. It would take you years to look at all of ‘em and I know that _this_ place is nowhere near where you come from.”

“And how the fuck would you know that?” Jensen growled. “How the fuck do you know any of that?”

Looking up, Gannon did not wear his usual confident smirk. Instead, he said his piece plainly.

“Because I’m from Maya.” 


	36. Worn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The details of Gannon's background are revealed and proof is given.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNINGS for this chapter include: graphic descriptions of bodies, torture, mutilation, death, blood, and emotional scenes. Please proceed with caution, this is quite dark. There were references to this in It Takes and here is a more thorough description of the pits and what exactly happened there. 
> 
> Seriously. If you're squeamish or easily disturbed by references to bodies in a pit (that's what it is), do not read this chapter. Message me for a summary. 
> 
> Onward--moving forward with the plan.

Jensen:

The story was somewhat like his own.

Gannon had been a pit turner in Maya, a Master, but one of low rank and no Title. He had worked in the pits because it was all that had been offered to him. When the time came, he didn’t pass the tests and neither he nor his family was rich enough to be placed in a higher position within society. It took a great deal of connections and wealth for a Master to move up; those resources were not available to them. Still, anything was better than being a breeder. His father reminded him of that daily, until one day, when his mother went missing and his father did not speak until moments before his death.

Day after day, Gannon turned over the pits.

It wasn’t always breeders that were thrown in. Sometimes Masters, mostly of his rank and lower, would be tossed and mixed in. Occasionally someone of Title would appear in the mass of bodies, recognizable by their clean appearance. Those were cover ups; murders and assassinations swept under. It was dirty, disgusting work. The stench of rotting, burning bodies frequently made the other workers vomit, but after a few years, Gannon’s sense of smell was destroyed. What made him sick, and what he could not help, was the way some of the breeders came in. Some were mangled and mutilated beyond any recognition; it was only a toe here or a finger there that proved them to have once been whole at all. Quite a few had their bellies ripped open, with scorch marks on the sides of the ruptures. Some of the saddest ones were bodies with stillborn pups half hanging inside them.

But the worst ones…

Some breeders were still alive.

 

He could have lived his entire life that way, turning the pits, making them wider, feeding the soil with the bodies of those who had done nothing to deserve such treatment. When his mind wandered he wondered what happened to the breeder with the face half cut off. What had been their offense?

Gannon knew that the pit was often a relief for those breeders and he frequently hoped that whatever damage had been done to their bodies had been committed after they were dead. Of course he knew that that was most likely not the case, but he hoped because he was foolish. He hadn’t passed the tests, he couldn’t understand what they were asking him—it was like being asked questions in a different language but all of it was backwards to boot. There was obviously something wrong with him and many regarded him as slow witted. It was all the same to him; he kept quiet and stayed out of the way.

His entire life changed when a shipment came in from Meridian. A round of breeders from a farm were to be put down and thrown in, or thrown in first, whatever, the Gatekeepers didn’t care. Their job was to guard the pits, not see to the disposal. Gannon turned the soil and moved the bodies, wearing his own pair of black gloves, with his name and section sewn inside. His father was in charge of putting the breeders down before passing them along the line to Gannon. Most accepted their fates, welcoming whatever lay before them in the afterlife. The ones who struggled, who begged, who screamed… well, Gannon never wanted to be promoted.

This particular shipment was different from the others they had received from the same farm, which was notoriously cruel and went through breeders faster than any other in the area. One breeder out of the shipment was pristine, dressed in gold, not a scratch or a bruise on them.

She was lovely.

He had never seen a breeder like her, with a countenance so sweet, she seemed to glow.

The pits are a dirty, filthy place. Gannon coughed up black smoke, pit lungs, his father called that. In her beauty, she shone, sparkled, brilliant and pure.

Three months prior, Gannon had turned a blind eye to a Gatekeeper sneaking out a breeder and taking them for their own use. He went to the same Gatekeeper and called in the favor. Before he knew it, he owned her. Her offense had been setting the table too quickly.

She smiled at him when he came for her, as she waited in line to have her neck snapped.

“Thank you,” was all she said and was all that needed to be said.

His father shot every breeder after her in the head. That way, they would not suffer.

It was their only wedding present.

 

Gannon preferred not to go into details about how they lived or how he loved her.

Jensen understood.

 

The only thing that saved them was his father’s last dying breath. “Run,” he had gasped out, stabbed more than twenty times. “Now.”

They did not have the connections or the pockets of someone like Nicky and Jared’s Masters.

But all those years of staying quiet and remaining unseen aided them both. Gannon led them out of Maya and into the wilderness, seeking out a theory he hoped would prove fact. She was worried. Every noise to her was certain death and more than once he had to silence her. Too many times they were nearly caught. He had no way of knowing where her chip was or how to deactivate it, but so far, no one had reported them missing. They were too insignificant to be cared about, but if anyone discovered them, they would be turned in immediately.

As they hid in the woods, he did his best for her.

Then she went into heat and he did his best for her then, too.

Just as he thought he might be able to continue like this—foraging, surviving off the forest—things took a turn for the worse.

He didn’t know there were traps in the woods.

He found her screaming, the upper half of her body trapped in the iron jaws of a well concealed trap. Amongst the black and gray of the forest, her bright red blood sprayed. The teeth of the trap pierced her tender belly and she was pale and trembling by the time he made it to her side. He heard horses in the distance, along with the shouts of officials. There was no other way.

And he preferred not to detail those moments.

Forced to make the decision, he placed his hands on either side of her head.

She thanked him.

 

As he placed his father’s pistol against his forehead, Gannon wondered what they would do to their bodies. Would they return them to the pit? Would they burn them here? Would they merely leave them, their work already done, for the animals in the woods?

She was lovely even in death. He had closed her eyes for her.

Pulling the trigger, his last thought was of her and her happiness. He realized earlier that that had been the reason why he hadn’t passed any of their tests.

And yet, death did not come.

Everything went dark and he heard a voice and he was filled with knowledge from a mysterious source. He was being saved because he was amusing—a diamond in the rough—and his suffering would be necessary for future events that he need not know about. One day it would end and he would feel the hot lick of a bullet specially made for him.

He begged for his life to be taken and hers to be spared. Couldn’t they just switch places? There wasn’t anything lovely or beautiful or talented about Gannon and he knew it.

No.

 

“I won’t bother you with fuckin’ details,” Gannon muttered. “I been here longer than this Alpha. My claw marks are on that tree. I’m a member of this Pride as any other cat. I worked my way from Pride to Pride until I found an Alpha willing to turn me. I had no clue what my sense of purpose was here. How could I be here when… when I knew what was happenin’? How could I stay here, lyin’ out in the sun, while I knew the pits kept turning with or without me? No matter what I did nothin’ happened. I couldn’t return. I couldn’t go back. When I found this place, more than ten years ago, I gave up. Gives a Master—a man—a lot of time to think. I read everything I could in every place I visited and I set up a beacon. More like a magnet. But I don’t think that’s how you got here. I don’t think that at all, not after talking to you.”

“What drew us here then, if not you?” Jensen asked, keeping his distance.

The beta sighed, tired, grief brimming.

“In some way, I made a deal. Maybe I didn’t know it but I didn’t really have to.”

Jensen bristled. “She doesn’t care about us, she doesn’t care about any of us. We’re like dirt to her!”

“Maybe we are—I don’t fuckin’ know. But there aren’t two things like that here. I’ve pieced it all together over and over again. I’m here because of y’all and I don’t know why and I don’t know how but I know I die at the end. So I _have_ to be part of your crew.”

“What makes you think I’ll let you near Jared?” Jensen snarled. He was pissed. The only person beside the Alpha he had trusted turned out to be a threat. He could never believe Gannon or take him by his word again, even if he understood the same pain, even if they had been through much of the same things.

Gannon sighed angrily. “You’re wasting too much time on the particulars, god dammit!”

He looked back at Jared, who sat in his chair, clutching his belly, wide-eyed. Fuck. Between the beta’s shit and the holes in their plan, Jensen felt himself losing control of the situation rapidly. Pacing back and forth, he was grateful that Jeff and Misha had kept quiet. The last thing he needed was someone reminding him that he was no cleaner than Gannon and that Jensen had made a conscious deal with the witch. He had knowingly said yes—he had begged for it.

And Jared’s life had been spared.

When he lay down to bed that night, Jared would be beside him.

The beta would never be able to say the same about his partner.

Jensen looked at Jared, who stood up and slowly appeared at Jensen’s side. The young breeder softly asked, “How do we know you’re from Maya?”

It was a valid question. Nicky voiced her agreement—Gannon needed to provide proof. His story was not enough. The beta shrugged and detailed the fountains at Maya, the pavement, and the shops. He had never had any money to go into any of the shops, but he did remember a hat shop on the main street and a tavern across from it, one that the Gatekeepers had enjoyed frequenting. Nicky, who knew Maya better than Jared, was unimpressed. She maintained that all large cities had hat shops and taverns, and, that there were two hat shops on the main road in Maya. He had to do better.

“If you insist,” Gannon grumbled and moved forward in his chair. He reached to his back pocket and tossed the contents onto the dining room table.

Both breeders gasped and stood behind Jensen and the Judge.

There, before all of them, was a worn pair of black gloves. 


	37. Preparations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The expedition party is chosen; all prepare for departure.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a more sci-fi leaning chapter. If y'all have questions, let me know! always happy to answer world building questions.
> 
> Here we go! Onto adventure! :D

There was very little time to prepare.

Chaos erupted in the forest.

Another body was found, this time, with a long electric spear in its hands.

Gannon took care of it, dragging the body off, whistling a tune.

 

The ambassador met with both breeders. They took off their shirt to reveal bandages. Bound underneath were breasts the same size as Nicky’s. One long scar crossed their chest; the ambassador showed it to them with pride. “This was my first attacker, a stray that had wandered onto our Pride. He thought because I’m an omega, I must be feeble. I was young still, so he clawed me, but I am here telling you this story.” Their bag was set down and dug through. The older breeder inquired after the bandages, asking if it hurt to bind down for extended periods of time.

Another set of bandages was pulled out.

“You tell me,” Teo said with a knowing smile, handing them to Nicky.

 

Teo had been born an omega, a status he still had.

What made him peculiar—his own word there—was that he had been born and raised as a female omega. As he taught Nicky how to bandage their chests, he explained that he had switched to his current classification—a male omega—in the last few years.

This was something that happened rarely within Prides, but was not unheard of. He emphasized that a true Alpha, a real leader, accepted the members of their Pride without hesitation. His Alpha in New Orleans had wished him well, given him her blessing, and reprimanded those who called Teo anything but his new name. After spending a year that way he was promoted to ambassador; Teo and the Alpha of the Lake Claiborne Pride were good friends.

“I think we both understand what it feels like to be underestimated,” he mentioned as he checked over Nicky’s bandages. “As I am sure you both are becoming familiar with.”

Both breeders were instructed to change into clothing Teo provided for them. Before they did, Nicky examined her chest. Jared was curious and looked over as well. The swell of her breasts was bound down expertly; kept flat and uniform without creating any difficulty in breathing. Though she did mention that it was a little restrictive. Teo laughed and nodded, adding that indeed it was, however, it was better than having their breasts unbound and vulnerable in combat. The clothes given to them were standard training outfits—light brown trousers, fitted blue shirts, and heavy gray boots. Jared was instructed to keep his dagger on the inside of his right boot.

The Alpha and Teo would train both breeders in basic combat skills.

Their Masters would be busy preparing for their departure.

Four of them were scheduled to leave in three days’ time.

 

Training was frustrating.

Jared could not hit hard enough to satisfy the Alpha or Teo. Twice, he was driven to tears. Exhausted and depressed, he begged for a break. Once they were on break, the Alpha’s demeanor changed. He pat the young breeder’s shoulder and handed him a canteen full of water, ordering him to drink the entire thing. Watchful, the Alpha stood beside Jared as Nicky and Teo continued practicing.

She would not be joining him, though she had tried to be one of the party. It had been decided that only four could reasonably travel there and back; anymore and the risks of losing someone grew higher. Jeff had been offered a spot but he declined. Everyone had been surprised by that.

“If you’ll only send this letter to our mother,” Jeff had asked Jensen, slipping him a piece of paper before Jensen had left in the morning on an errand for the Alpha. “You can deposit it at a mail slot right outside the building, if it’s safe of course.” No one had argued with Jeff about his decision to stay; Jared had embraced him and had been held tightly in return. With Jensen, Jared, and Gannon as three of the four, the Alpha had debated with Madison and Dustin about the fourth spot. Although the Alpha had volunteered to fill it, Dustin argued against it. There was no telling how well the timeframe against this world and Jensen’s would line up; they could be gone for what felt like two minutes but might be weeks here. The Pride could not afford to sacrifice its Alpha. There were many betas the Alpha trusted to send along, including his own mate, but the spot was quickly filled.

Teo walked over, followed by Nicky, and announced that they were going about this the wrong way. The breeders were uninspired. “We are motivating you incorrectly,” he declared before running off. Jared looked towards the Alpha for an explanation.

The Alpha shrugged and leaned back in the grass.

The fourth member of their expedition had been selected because of his insistence and experience; he was the only one who had brought up the psychological connection that needed to be severed before they returned. He was the only one who had seen anyone controlled by the minds of others—the only one who knew the solution to it and hoped that it would work the same way while traveling through time and space.

Teo was eager to leave.

 

“I bet you both a sip of water that I can knock your brother to the ground in ten seconds,” Teo chirped, standing beside Jeff. “Do we have a deal?”

“I’ll bet you can’t,” Jeff countered with a cocky grin. “And I’ll wager a round at the tavern tonight.”

The Alpha nudged Jared and Nicky. “Who will you bet on? Go on, it’s a friendly bet.”

It didn’t seem like much of a wager to Jared. Even though he was taller than Teo, he could never knock over his brother, who stood at nearly six foot five. Jeff was both taller and broader than Jensen or Misha. Teo was not only a foot and a half shorter, he was also naturally slim. Nicky bet on Teo, but she voiced that whoever won would impress her. Jared bet on neither; he declined his vote. The Alpha laughed and bet for Jeff, taking pity on him.

There was a shout to start from the Alpha and less than a minute later, the Alpha was laughing and helping Jeff up from the ground. “I won’t begrudge you, Jeff, for causing me to buy Teo a drink and lose a sip of water. All is well.”

“All is well?” Jeff grumbled, stumbling up even with the Alpha’s help. “He flipped me!”

In ten seconds flat, Teo had knocked Jeff to the ground. He explained his maneuver to the breeders, demonstrating against Jeff, slowing down the process. “That is how someone like me can disarm someone like Jeff,” Teo finished with a smirk to his fake opponent, who was still rubbing his backside. “How tall are you again?”

“You’re a sore winner,” Jeff growled out.

This did not deter Teo’s smile. “And you’re just sore.”

Despite this, Jeff volunteered his time and body to help with more demonstrations. He coached Jared and Nicky along with both Teo and the Alpha. It was decided that the breeders’ main problem was their training, which had been ingrained in them to never strike out against any Master. This was not something, the Alpha realized, that would be erased with a few hours of training. A few key moves were shown in addition to what the most vulnerable locations on a body were to strike at. They were taught that with the right amount of pressure, however slight, could knock someone down long enough for them to get away.

“Let’s say your initiative isn’t to hit,” the Alpha instructed Jared, holding the young breeder’s hands up. “Think of it better as trying not to get yourself hit. Block, pivot, and turn. Yes, that’s it. Faster now. Jared, there are gaps on your left, block higher. Faster. I can still get your side. Jared! Faster! You can do it!”

Panting heavily, Jared nearly toppled over. He felt ridiculous. He could hear Nathaniel laughing at him, mocking that no breeder was ever meant to duck from a blow to the side or the head or the throat. A breeder was meant to take the hit—that’s what breeders were for.

The Alpha pinned Jared to the ground, holding him there. Jared felt himself cry.

“You are strong,” the Alpha insisted, pushing Jared into the soft grass. “You would not have made it here if you were weak. Understand that.”

“I don’t feel strong. Not at all.”

“You have to change the type of strength you have.” The Alpha rolled off of Jared and sat on the grass, pulling Jared up to sit beside him. “Do you think Jensen was always this strong? Or Jeff?”

Jared nodded. They were Masters. Masters were always stronger than breeders.

There was a snort from the Alpha. “They weren’t, trust me. We all start someplace and this is your beginning. Don’t make it an end before it’s even started.” The Alpha stood up, helping Jared up as well. “I’m not letting you off easy because I want the best for you.”

“How can you know what’s best for me?” Jared asked, hoping he didn’t sound rude. “Even I don’t know what’s best for me.”

This is where the Alpha laughed and pat Jared’s back, assuming position again.

“Let’s keep it at—because I’m older for the moment. Now, you need improvement on your left. Are you ready?”

With a nod, Jared assumed his stance.

For the rest of the time, even when he was struggling to get up again, he concentrated on why he had cast his vote for the plan. The new body had been found more broken and disfigured than the first one. Although it did not move in the same manner, it twitched until Gannon severed its head. Jared had wanted to know why a black cloth bag was placed over the head before being tied to the body and dragged off. He assumed there was a good reason for it.

 

The next day, Jensen sat their expedition group and the Alpha down.

“Easiest way to explain an Aorta is to imagine a lock and key,” he explained in the living room of their residence instead of the Alpha’s. “They don’t look anything like keys but just go with it.” A hand drawn picture was held up; to Jared it looked like a jewel. “This is the best I can come up with. When time travelers realized we could lock worlds they wanted to make sure it was done by nature and science together. A piece of earth to all available worlds was collected and ground into Aortas. You have to find the right Aorta for the right world or it won’t work. We’ll take soil samples from the forest, Mount Driskill, and the lake to test it.”

Analyzing the map, Jared raised his hand. Jensen nodded. “Ah… what if the soil samples are not a match?”

Jensen was not bothered by the question; he seemed pleased that Jared asked it. “I’m hoping we don’t have to match the samples at all. I don’t know the system they have for cataloging Aortas, but hopefully it’s all labeled. Then all you have to do is find the one for here—planet AOx527 in the system—take it and leave.”

The Alpha shook his head. “No. You should not just take the Aorta. You should match samples as well, to detect for any possible tampering.”

“I agree,” Teo spoke up. “Though it will be difficult to know if the soil from here is part of the sample your people originally took to make the Aorta.”

“If this has anything to do with that _thing_ then it’s all gonna be connected and we won’t have to worry,” Gannon interjected. “Yo, you got any plan for when or where we touch down? Jeff was upset about you getting in—y’all got guards at every entryway so he says.”

Moving on, Jensen explained that yes, there were guards. His expression changed to a sad fondness as he detailed that old Jared and he had found several weak spots in the entryways. Jared wondered how the actual event had occurred; how much had they seen before getting married? Before Jared had died? What stories were there yet to be told about their time before? Jensen bristled and turned the image of the Aorta over. “Leave the landing to me, I’ll be driving. When we touch we’ll be near a station—the closest one to the Council headquarters.” The new image looks to Jared like a bathtub, but entirely closed and rounder in shape. “This is a glider; it’s how travelers get around from station to station. Cars are used for civilians and when we were on leave. It’s run on clean energy, activated by someone who has clearance.” A look towards Jared was given.

All three of them examined the image, with a few questions about how it worked. Jensen answered every question patiently. “It goes as fast as you need it to, operated somewhat like a motorcycle. You press harder on the sensor to go faster and ease up to slow down. A tap of your foot on the left and it’ll stop. Turning is done by angling. They’re silent, which is why we’re going to use them. Jared will activate two—one for him and I and the other for Gannon and Teo. Jeff is working on copying Jared’s fingerprints onto a glove so someone can drive the second glider.”

“I’ll drive,” Teo announced, looking at Gannon. “You suck at driving.”

“I’m supposed to die anyway, what do I care if you crash us into a building?” the beta muttered. “Gliders got seatbelts?”

“It has magnets that attach to uniforms but we can’t recreate those so… no,” Jensen replied. “Kids practice on smaller gliders for fun, if they can do it, you can. After landing, and then flying to headquarters, we’ll ditch the gliders and cover Jared. Misha is making us up some masks but it’s important not to be seen. They might not recognize y’all but they will recognize Jared and I if we give them the opportunity.”

From then on, it was detailed what each member of the expedition should pack. Jensen emphasized that the entire event should take no more than an hour. Any lingering could result in trouble. Since he wasn’t sure how the amount of time they would be gone would be in this world, it was best that they got in and out as soon as possible.

Jared wondered if there was something or someone Jensen wanted to see in his original world before leaving it forever.

That was a question for later.

“We get in, get out, get back to the gliders and fly back to the landing point. It’ll be the most complicated for Jared—he’ll have to pass through the hallways and find the right room, then go on about finding the correct key. But we all have faith in Jared, right?” Jensen asked, looking at the young breeder, who blushed in response. Everyone agreed.

Jensen’s portion of the evening was over for the moment. Teo took over, explaining that what needed to be done with the connection would happen after they had the Aorta. “Most of it will be, again, in the hands of our capable Captain.” Teo nodded towards Jared. “We will help from the sidelines. There is no choice but to do it as we are traveling, which has been explained to me. I think it will work. I hope it will. It will be different that doing it as I witnessed it done here. Still, I think with extra concentration and help, Jared will be able to do it.”

The omega stood up and took out his weapon, a long, serrated blade. He held it in front of him as he spoke. “The presence of a second body means, to me, that their power is increasing. They may try to manipulate what you see, Jared. Actually, they will probably do that to all of us. At the height of it, Jared needs to slice through the projection of their force. This may be an image that appears to be real—it may come in the shape of a person or an object. It will be clear to you when you see it. At that point, you will sever it and land. This must all be timed extremely well and carried out with delicacy.”

“If it’s not?” Gannon asked sharply. “What happens?”

Sheathing his knife, Teo shrugged. “We all die a horrible, painful death. Good enough for you?”

“You’re always filled with cheer.”

“And you with cynicism,” the omega snipped. “You are convinced you’ll die on this mission, therefore, your life means nothing to you. It could mean everything to us.”

“Back on topic, please,” the Alpha sighed and poured himself a cup of tea that Jared had prepared. “We have trained both breeders—although Nicky is not going, I worry that she might be pulled into this. Those of us that remain here will watch after the remaining members of your party. In addition, we will help prepare for your landing. You are to send two warnings to Misha and Jeff before your arrival. However, that is not free of contamination, so, we will focus on being ready at all times.”

As Jared collected the cups and plates from the table, the Alpha and Jensen stood to the side and whispered. When Jared asked about this later, as they were going to bed, Jensen replied that the Alpha had only reminded Jensen to have faith in his Captain.

There was something there that Jared couldn’t quite figure out.

When they were lying next to each other, Jensen’s arms wrapped around Jared, chest to back, Jensen sighed. He kissed Jared’s forehead and mumbled into Jared’s hair.

“I want you to say you won’t do this. I honestly do. I want you to say you’ll stay here and let me take care of things. I want to fix everything and not have you worry about it. You hung the stars and the moon—let me do the rest.”

Jared felt an ache in his belly—persistent and strong. He hid it from Jensen. “If you would have me here every day, doing nothing more than cleaning, I would be ashamed to call myself yours,” he replied quietly. “This is what I want and for it to work, I… I need you to believe that I can be strong like you.”

“There’s nothing strong about me,” Jensen muttered.

“Yes there is,” Jared insisted, turning to face his Master. He placed a kiss on Jensen’s cheek before settling in for the evening. The day before them would be busy with preparation. Already, he felt his heart beat a little faster.

Before they fall asleep, Jared whispered his final piece.

“You came back.”

 


	38. Promises

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Their last day and night is spent in preparation; a feast is had at the fire pit and they retire in their residence after. Jared asks something of Jensen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sex in this chapter! Explicit warnings, read the tags, mention of a plug in this chapter.
> 
> Auuuugh Jensen... i loved his pov here. Time travel and gliders in the next chapter!

Jensen:

There was a thickness to the air in Lake Claiborne Jensen had never felt before.

He had traveled far—further than he had ever dreamed of as a child—but no air felt the way it did beside the lake. It threaded through him, tempting and flirtatious, easy in its movements all around him.

At length he confronted Gannon as dawn melted over them, the lake waking up.

Jensen made it clear that if it came down to Gannon or Jared, he wouldn’t hesitate in his decision. The beta offered no argument, no protest. After Jensen finished explaining the gliders—it had been determined that Gannon would drive the second glider—Gannon provided a warning.

“You ain’t got any idea what she’s done all of this for. Don’t think so high of yourself that you know her reasons or the end game. Just when you think it might be over, for her it might be startin’.”

Sitting on the edge of the lake, near a beta base, they finalized plans between them.

The sky broke out in a brilliant orange, piercing through purple. No trace of dark red.

 

Their last full day was spent training. For hours, he took turns with the Alpha and Madison in providing both breeders with basic, necessary defense moves and tactics. When he saw Madison slam Jared to the ground Jensen intervened.

His breath was knocked out of him when Jared shoved his hand away, refusing to be helped up. Instead, Jared got up without any assistance—knuckles and lower lip bloody and raw, panting and wheezing from exertion. Something electric in the tips of Jensen’s fingers buzzed; he stood back and gave Jared space, watched him assume position again. Blow after blow, he blocked Madison’s hits, still weak on the left but making up for it by screaming and driving her back.

“Faster! Faster, Jared! You call that blockin’? Kittens block better! Faster! On your left! Defend your left! You. Are. Not. Fast. Enough!” Madison snapped at him sharply, not holding back any longer, and Jared took a few hits. But not once was he knocked down again. Pushing against the beta, he thrust his weight back at her, keeping his center, his aim improving. With every minute of their sparring, Jared’s confidence blossomed with thorns. He was sharp and angry.

“Your left!” she roared, striking him in the chest, forcing him back, her tied back hair swishing against her shoulder. They both wore heavy boots, grinding the dirt up underneath them. “Jared, block your fucking left! Your left! Block it! Work your muscles! Block it, block it, block it!”

“I’m blocking!” Jared shouted.

In one hard, fluid movement, he swept his leg under her knees, which caused her to buckle and hit the ground. He placed his hand directly above her throat, posed to strike in the tender place that would render her immobile and still—dead.

Panting, the beta grinned. She eased him down from his rage, cooing and purring, verbally conceding the round, baring her neck.

Jensen smiled proudly.

The Alpha walked over and placed his hand on Jared’s shoulder. “Easy. Hold onto your fury, don’t let it slip loose. Harness it until it’s silent and pliable. Too wild and your mistake could cost the life of a friend instead of the enemy.” Jared nods and helped Madison up. “You’re improving,” the Alpha continued. “As is Nicky, which I am pleased to see. You will be out there and we will be here, preparing.”

“I won’t fail,” Jared insisted, looking over to Jensen. “I can do this.”

He nodded in response. The Alpha asked Jared and Madison to join Teo in a tour of the Prides on a car. This was so Jared could get used to the feeling of movement that wasn’t by carriage. Jensen knew the car and its noises would startle Jared, but he trusted the cats with him to take it easy at first. A car wasn’t very similar to a glider but the speed was. In a glider there would be no seatbelts. Jensen had learned motorcycles first then worked his way up to a glider with a hood, until he was capable of driving a glider small and sleek enough to zip in between buildings and underneath bridges.

How familiar they seemed in his mind and to think he might get a chance to touch one.

The pale blue glowing of a sensor pad, the smooth feeling of the engine humming underneath him… midnights and daybreaks and sunsets spent speeding, soaring, winding and dropping in altitude until Jared begged him to pull up, stop teasing, “Jenny! The ground! Jensen you asshole, pull up! Oh my god, I’m gonna die— _we’re_ gonna die!”

Bristling, Jensen scowled and headed towards the second Doctor’s office, where Jeff and Misha were putting together supplies for their trip.

How amusing for them to slip a quote into his mind that had the word die in it.

 

Dinner was had at the fire pit, with most of the Pride in attendance. Their departure was announced formally, with each member of their expedition standing and receiving applause. It was appropriate for the two omegas to receive the most applause and cheer.

Remarkably, Eloi was absent. Mioh mentioned to Jared that someone had seen the beta slink off into his residence, commanding to be undisturbed. The Alpha found this suspicious and had two beta guards keep a watchful eye from a distance. Other than that, there was a general spirit of hope and optimism around the fire. This time, their entire party sat near the Alpha, towards the center of the fire pit. Dustin and Ms. Deb fed everyone with the help of the omega pair, passing around slabs of meat and game. Roasted quail, strips of venison, pots of rice and beans, fire grilled vegetables and fresh, cool tomato salad was offered to them. When Gannon arrived they had a selection of fat perch soaked in lemon and butter, fried catfish with hushpuppies, and crawfish boil with corn, potatoes, and spicy seasonings.

Piles of food were served to Jensen from Jared, who looked pleased that Jensen was eating so well, even though he was tired, bruised, and anxious. Jensen in turn made sure Jared had seconds and dessert; Ms. Deb out did herself with pecan pie, vanilla ice cream, and chocolate sauce.

Jensen had eaten in the shittiest diners all across his world and beyond. It’d been Jared, with a nose for food, that somehow found them the best hole in the wall restaurant to eat at.

“Baby, there’s chocolate on your chin,” Jensen murmured to Jared. “C’mere.”

Trusting and open, Jared leaned in, making a happy noise as Jensen licked off the drizzle of chocolate. He couldn’t help the kiss that followed, or the deeper one after that. From Jensen’s right side Misha commented that perhaps they might turn in early and spend some time together. “You know, in the privacy and comfort that four walls provide,” he added with a smirk Jensen wanted to wipe off his face.

“I agree,” Jared whispered, one hand on Jensen’s knee, firelight flickering gold in his hazel eyes. “Can we?”

“Sure, let’s just finalize things for tomorrow before we head out.”

“You mean before you get laid,” Misha retorted.

“Before _I_ get laid,” Jared quipped. Even Nicky gasped at the remark but she quickly burst out laughing. Jared blushed bright enough that even the fire didn’t need to accentuate it.

“My god,” Jensen drawled and slung an arm around Jared’s shoulders. “You sure you’re feelin’ alright?”

With a nod, Jared answered that yes, he did. They walked over to where the Alpha and Teo were conversing, Suya in between them, back in kitten form. Jared picked up the baby and held him near as Jensen confirmed their departure time. Gannon walked over and added that they shouldn’t eat breakfast, which Jensen agreed with. There was no telling how rough their travel would be, despite the runes, and it would be best to start off with a mostly empty stomach. Instead of leaving at dawn, they would leave at high noon. The landing spot was within the field once again, with a tunnel dug thanks to the fast work of a team of omegas. Midway through their conversation, Teo took out his knives and began to sharpen them. He was in charge of their weaponry, except for Jensen’s gun and handhelds. He still had a pair left from Lee, charged and ready.

The MedLight and his handhelds worked in similar ways, also very much like a glider. All ran on self-sustaining, clean energy and fuel. The way they worked, however, made all the difference. In a Medlight, part of that energy was transferred onto the patient in tiny microscopic waves, healing their cells until there was nothing more to heal, in which it would all dissolve. There had never been any reported malfunctions of a MedLight. Thought it needed some occasional recharging in the sun, Jensen had loaned it to Dustin during their stay, explaining that it would most likely benefit him more than it would Jensen at the moment. Now though, Jensen was packing it with their supplies.

In any case, it seemed that they were set. Gannon handed Jared a red handkerchief, gruffly rumbling that red was for the Captain, blue—as he handed out to Teo and Jensen—was for the grunts.

Jared held the handkerchief in his free hand as if it were fragile glass. He asked Jensen to tie it on for him, as he did not know how. Just as Jensen finished tying it, it started to rain.

“Rain is a good sign,” the Alpha acknowledged, taking Suya from Jared. “Your journey will be blessed.”

As they walked away, towards their residence, hand in hand, Jensen knew that the Alpha would dispatch extra patrols to the lake and the tree line for the duration of the night and into the morning.

It was raining, and there was the sound and feel of it, but the rain never touched the ground.

 

It frightened Jensen that it had rained on the eve of their wedding and now, on the eve of their departure.

He fucked Jared slow and soft, pounding into him only when Jared was begging for it. Twice, he thrust in deep and hard enough to cause Jared to squirt on their bed, though this time they had prepared with extra sheets. Trembling and crying, Jared bucked against him, fucked himself down on Jensen’s cock, riding his hips. With a great shout, he lifted his hips, and slipped Jensen out, the same sweet combination of come and milk dripping out in long, plentiful gushes.

Wet, sticky, and desperate, their mouths met. Jared sat himself down again, taking in Jensen easily, clenching his ass and rocking back and forth. Jensen moved his hips up to meet Jared’s downward pushes, groaning at the sound of Jared coming again, this time without pulling off, the squelch of it and Jared’s orgasm causing him to shiver.

The sound of rain intensified as Jared worked himself up and down the rigid, heavy line of Jensen’s cock. Bandaged hands rested on Jensen’s chest; Jared’s own hard cock bobbed in between them, twitching against Jensen’s stomach.

Jensen flipped them over so that Jared lay on his back, legs wrapped around Jensen’s waist.

Pushing their hips up, adjusting the angle, applying an almost painful pressure, Jensen reached the spot again. Jared screamed and clawed at Jensen’s back, yanked him down for a brutal, biting kiss.

This.

This was how they used to be.

This was their rhythm, their pace, their way of things.

It was still theirs, perhaps even more so now. Jensen came without pulling out, buried as far as he could go, his cock spurting thick loads that left them messier than they already were.

Their mouths hovered near each other’s as they panted.

Jared bumped their noses together and ran his hands through Jensen’s hair. Jensen lowered himself slowly, slipping out of Jared carefully, watching for a moment as his come leaked out of Jared’s pink entrance. Jared held his legs open for Jensen, which was a rare sign of openness from him.

“Plug me?” Jared murmured, his voice quiet in between the sounds of rain and their still heavy breathing.

There was a drawer where Jared kept things from his life before; Jensen got up and opened it. Inside were two plugs—a small and a large one, Jensen chose the small one—and a milking canister. Jensen hated the thing but he knew Jared had reasons to keep it. Easing himself back on the bed, he rubbed Jared’s belly as he inserted the plug, keeping his come inside Jared.

“Feels good,” was whispered to him in the dark. “Jensen, I feel good.”

He didn’t mind changing out the sheets or cleaning them up or getting them each a drink of water. When all that was done, he slipped into the bed alongside Jared and breathed him in, kissed him and held him close. “I’m glad, baby,” Jensen replied. He shut his eyes after, hoping to drift off.

“Jensen?”

“Hmm?”

“I’m going to die one day.”

He swore the rain pelted against their window a little harder at that moment.

“…”

“I will die one day. Everyone dies,” Jared added, fingers on Jensen’s cheek, then on the shell of his ear. “I’m not afraid of it anymore.”

“Jay…”

“No,” he insisted, placing a finger over Jensen’s lips. “You need to know that.”

“Okay.”

He didn’t want to make tonight a big deal; he didn’t want to act like it was the last of anything.

“Promise me, please, just one thing.”

“I can’t say no to you,” Jensen grumbled, kissing Jared’s forehead.

“Good. Because if something happens to me tomorrow I… I don’t want you to bring me back. Not by any means. I want you… I want you to move on. Please?” Jared was hushed but his voice was clear. “Jen?”

“Yes,” Jensen conceded in a lie. “I won’t try anything.”

Jared nodded and kissed him, then fell asleep.

Jensen remained awake for a little while longer.

 

He hadn’t reached a thousand yet.


	39. Memorized

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The party leaves and says their last words outside the tunnel.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> eee! :D quick update!

Before they left, the Alpha showed both breeders how a shift was made from cat to person with their clothes intact. Silver runes—the squiggles and loops that Jared could not read—were sewn on the inside of every piece of clothing and shoe. The runes allowed them to remain dressed as a human but stay unclothed and unburdened as a cat. Even weapons could be suspended like this, held in place somewhere in the universe whenever a person shifted. The entire process was not explained for the sake of time, but the Alpha emphasized that there had to be the precise combination of runes.

“You draw this shape if you are separated,” the Alpha taught him, drawing it onto a piece of paper and folding it, tucking it in Jared’s vest pocket. “We might be able to track you if you draw that shape. It has a lifespan so only draw it if you are lost.”

Omegas had sewn protective runes inside their clothes the night before. Although there was no guarantee the runes would hold the same meaning or aid them at all in Jensen’s world there was no reason not to try.

Oddly enough, the runes looked very similar to the ones Jeff and the Judge had placed down around the tunnel they would be leaving through. A team of omegas and betas had worked efficiently through the night and into the morning to make a tunnel big enough, reinforcing it with wood, guarding it up until the party was ready to leave. Even after they left, Dustin assured them that a patrol would be placed outside, watching for interference and for their return.

“I’ve set a return date and I hope that it holds in place,” the Judge announced to their party at the mouth of the tunnel. “It will bring you back within twenty-four hours of arrival. You have twenty-four hours to do what needs to be done and then the same route we took originally will open once more.” A list of calculations was handed to Jensen, who would be leading.

They were all dressed in black for camouflage; in trousers and button down shirts that had long sleeves. Jared and Jensen both had vests on, while the beta and omega preferred belts and thigh holsters. Gannon tied his hair back and tucked his handkerchief into the front pocket of his shirt; he smoked a cigarette while the others said goodbye. Ms. Deb walked over to him and chastised him for trying to be apart from the Pride—she did not let him leave without a forced but firm embrace.

Jared looked down at the boots he was wearing. They didn’t have a heel as high as the Alpha wore but they were sharp and edged with barbs. Inside each boot, which came to his knee, was a dagger dipped in poison. Mioh came up to Jared and embraced him, murmuring that there was still so much of the Pride for them to explore, so he had better come back. The young omega slipped a belt around Jared’s waist and tightened it so it did not hang loosely. He explained to Jared that each silver star, when thrown properly and with enough force, could pierce a person’s throat. But he had to take care in how he held them and make sure that he saved one—in case he had to defend himself at close range.

Jared thanked him for the gifts and the advice.

 

Early that morning, as Jensen slept, Jared slipped out of bed and spent time in the yellow room.

Nicky had joined him.

She was as welcome in their residence as anyone.

They held hands and lay on the floor, whispering stories of things they had seen together, things they had seen apart, and things they would once again see together as soon as Jared returned. She was insistent—she would hear of no other alternative—that he would come back and they would be able to pick up where they had left off.

Even still, he had her promise she would look after the yellow room.

“It only needs a light sweep and dusting,” Jared had breathed into her, holding onto her tightly, memorizing the sound of her purr. “If I don’t come back… you… promise me you’ll look after him for me?”

The air in the yellow room felt softer and lighter than the air anywhere else.

To give Jared peace, she promised him she would do all those things. “But I won’t have to,” she had said before pressing them close, stretching them out. “You will return to us.”

 

At the tunnel, she refused to say goodbye to any of them. Instead, she said, “Until later,” even to Gannon.

Jared took a moment, before stepping in, to memorize how lovely the older breeder looked. She had healed so well; she had filled out into the most beautiful shape, with curves and elegance. Her black hair was glossy once again, pulled back but with a few long strands framing her face. It seemed like not too long ago he had been walking behind Master Eli’s carriage and she had been waving at him from the entrance of the household.

These were thoughts that made him smile.

Taking Jensen’s hand and following, stepping with confidence, Jared refused to be sad.

This would not be a sad moment for him.

How could he be sad when the last glimpse of the world was Nicky waving once more?


	40. Bolide

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jensen loses Jared's grip.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> while i wrote this, i had pictures of space up. can you imagine traveling through that? 
> 
> so how many times has jensen seen that, that he's no longer impressed by the sight of it? damn.
> 
> so excited to be on the way!

Jensen:

The journey was rough.

But it felt different to him—it felt wrong. He could not shake the feeling in the pit of his stomach, nor could he pinpoint exactly what bothered him.

He was not impressed by the stars or the enormous expanse of space.

Every star was a potential threat and every planet was a potential prison. The trip was longer this time but he felt Jared there, knew that he was two steps behind. Every few stars Jensen would check on the rest of their party, who were in awe but present.

There had been a time when they could communicate through inky layers of the void; when Jensen had memorized the exact shape of Jared’s shadow as they traveled, had seen his profile through stardust. When nothing was more familiar to him than Jared as outlined through airglow just before landing. Their acceleration changed without Jensen’s doing and he forced them to slow down, which lurched them all backwards and up. It was supposed to be like stepping into another room. That had been the velvety consistency that Jared had mastered. Not this.

Fingers were pried from his hand.

The appearance of a comet—luminous and shimmering—distracted the rest but not Jensen.

Someone was trying to separate them.

He felt it; he felt their energy press into his shadow and apply pressure against the walls of his heart. He resisted its influence, pushed against the axis it tried to place him on, one that led away from Jared and into dense, black abyss.

“A bolide,” Jared had once said in their bunker, surrounded by books as he researched their next mission, “is a meteor, which may explode during its descent through Earth’s atmosphere.”

That had fascinated him to no end. Jensen remembered the weeks that followed—every conversation filled with bolides, auroras, and background radiation. Everything that called Jared’s attention to space glowed. “Would it be wonderful?” he had murmured into the dip of Jensen’s stomach. “That your death would be so brilliant? Lustrous, resplendent, incandescent…” Jared’s mouth had trailed lower. “Jen?”

“Jared!”

“Jay!”

Who was speaking and who was the memory?

“It’s a bolide!” Jensen tried to shout.

It wasn’t a comet at all.

And they were closer than he had realized.

But they were burning up.


	41. Ignited

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The party lands and begins the first leg of their journey.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i had so much fun with this chapter XD 
> 
> onward to the next! 
> 
> pleeeease leave me comments? let me know how you're liking this? please? <3

He had waited such a long time to call Jensen his.

To forget his seemingly endless loneliness.

Although the MedLight had healed visible scars, Jared felt everything that lay beneath his skin, knowing that they would never completely fade away. Every lash he had ever experienced grew and aged with him; it was the fate that had been carved into him.

There were so many wondrous marvels to space.

The bright lights of ancient stars, the arches of constellations, the constant revolutions of moons against their planets and planets against their suns... How it could all work without a care, without one thought of its inhabitants… of how it would all continue to work long after there were residents to admire it. The enormity of it frightened and humbled the young breeder as he slipped through delves of murkiness. So many things would start and end in the time the universe stretched its still young legs. Their problems were so small in comparison to the hundreds of potential worlds they rippled past.

Rising towards a large, hefty object, there was no monstrous figure waiting for him this time.

He was grateful that he would bear no witness to past events.

Though he knew—somehow he knew she was watching them. Her attention had shifted and it bothered him, causing the shadow he had become to flicker in transit.

The light coolness of the deep, dark girth around them rapidly became searing, scorching, and piercing. This was all wrong. Their temperature had never changed before—the velocity switched and they all four accelerated without any notice or control. Flames burst all around him, hovering a few inches above his skin as he felt himself fall off their course. A gust of howling, screeching wind knocked the breath out of him as he saw clouds instead of stars.

They were falling.

 

Ignited, they plummeted. He wondered what it looked like from the ground.

Perhaps it was pretty.

Maybe it was brilliant.

Lustrous, resplendent, incandescent…

 

“Jensen!”

“Master!”

There were so many voices in his head.

But there was land underneath him once more.

 

It was not poetic—the first thing Jared heard when he came to, was a series of curse words.

“Fuckin’ hell! What the fuck was that? No one explained becomin’ human comets! Any of y’all listenin’? Hello?!” That would be the voice of the beta Gannon, who sounded as if he was panicking. Jared sniffled and rolled over onto his side, curling up at once from the movement.

“Would you shut the hell up?!” snapped another voice, this one slightly panicked. “Jay? Try not to move, sweetheart. Stay still for a moment, you’ve bruised some ribs.” He could hear the voice move from near his ear to above him somewhere. “Where’s Teo? Gannon! Stay down!” Followed after that was a rustling of grass and the leaves from a bush. Jared opened his eyes and adjusted to the darkness, following orders and not moving but looking around. They were in a sort of forest, though it did not seem very thick or populated, and the trees were all very unfamiliar. He heard no rustle of any animals and the soil felt strange. It was all too still and unnervingly unnatural.

Distantly, he swore he could hear the sound of Jensen humming.

Or was he sobbing? Was that sound there at all?

“Help.”

“Holy shit!”

“Teo? Teo! Stay there! Don’t try to move.” Jensen sounded panicked. “Gannon, get me a rope.”

There was frenzied movement from Jensen and the beta. Wanting to see what had happened to Teo, with his own sense of anxiety rising, Jared struggled to sit up. His middle hurt, as if he had been kicked in the chest one too many times, just like the time he had set the table wrong and old Master had been displeased. Every inhale caused a biting, piercing sensation in his lungs. Coughing and dizzy, Jared managed to pull himself up, gripping onto some grass. He caught sight of Gannon rushing past, the bright glow of his green eyes flashing in the darkness. Both cats would be able to see better than Jared or Jensen in nightfall. While their eyes glowed, it was nothing that could be spotted from far away.

Looking over to where Jensen stood at the base of a tree, Jared hiccupped. His head swam and he swallowed back foamy dread. Fear and foreboding buried themselves in the bottom of his belly and stayed there, nestling with claws.

He was distracted by the sight of Teo clinging to a tree branch.

“I’m going to throw up,” the omega announced with a groan. “Don’t stand under me.”

“We’re tryin’ to rescue you, don’t do that,” Gannon quipped. “How far are we from the base?”

“Thought I told you not to move,” Jensen said as he looked back at Jared. Turning to Gannon and holding the rope, he informed the beta that they were a mile away. They had landed in the correct place more or less, and those details would be discussed later, when a member of their party was not dangling from a tree. Gannon sighed and waved Jensen away.

“The fuck you wanna do with a rope? Lasso him? I’ll get him down,” he grumbled, taking off his pack. “I’m faster anyhow.” He looked up at Teo. “This is what you get for being so fuckin’ small.”

Teo mewled from his position. “When I am back on the ground, I’m going to punch you.”

The beta shifted in an instant, smooth and unhindered, which caused Jensen to sigh in relief. It had been uncertain whether or not the cats would be able to shift in Jensen’s world; such ability did not exist here. As Jared watched Gannon’s sleek form climb the tree, his claws sinking into the bark, he wondered what would happen if he were to stay here. Technically, someone like him—with the ability to create life—did not exist here either. The only people able to give life were females and they were not placed into categories. Did that then make him female here? Would he be able to give birth here? His belly felt no different, except for the persistent, weighty feeling that they were being watched.

Cautiously, Teo reached out for Gannon. He swung from the branch, hanging in midair for a split second, and grabbed onto the beta’s scruff. Wrapping his legs around Gannon’s waist, Teo held on as they lowered slowly. Jensen extended his arms and helped the omega down, back onto the ground.

“Where’s my punch?” Gannon asked after he had shifted back, his voice playful and lighter than it had been.

“I will get you later,” Teo replied and took a drink of water from his pack. He leaned against the trunk of the tree and looked over at Jensen. “That was highly unpleasant.”

The three of them made their way over to where Jared was sitting. Though the forest was sparse and not very large, it provided them with enough cover that it was appropriate to rest in for a little while, until they recovered their bearings. With Jensen’s help, Jared tried to stand. It took a few tries, with his vision blurring, but eventually he got it. Jensen explained that these were all after effects of traveling, made worse by the rough patch they hit during the final leg of their route. He could not determine what exactly had thrown them off, but he described their descent like a giant rock falling from the sky. What was also difficult to understand was how they had managed to land without serious injury.

“It’s like someone put pillows under us,” Gannon added. “Fallin’ at that speed onto this kind of ground? Yeah, we should all be dead.”

“The less we talk about death, the better I will feel,” the omega snapped. “If we cannot pinpoint the exact reason why we landed like this then it is best not to waste time on it. We know there was interference—possibly from our enemy—and that they tried their best to separate us.” He handed Jared his skein of water. “The point is that we were not separated and landed in the proper place. We must move forward onto the next stage of our plan, which is infinitely more difficult.”

After a sip of cool water, which he was surprised had traveled well, Jared agreed. He wanted to be at the headquarters already. They were on limited time; whatever they did here had to count for something before they were called back. “Jensen? There are hardly any trees from here to the base—how will we remain unseen?” Running through what looked to be a gently curving valley, there were very few places to disguise themselves. Half a mile out—which seemed too close for comfort—there were things in the sky Jared could not identify. They looked like beetles with searchlights. Searchlights he knew very well.

“Those are gliders,” Jensen said, digging around in his pack. “That’s what we’re riding. I know they keep two extras back around. Here, your gloves. They should work; I had Misha follow my instructions exactly.” The gloves with a copy of Jared’s fingerprints were passed to Gannon; they seemed like ordinary gardening gloves but made out of a lighter material. They were gray and clean.

Gannon fixed his hair, tying it back more securely, and slipped the gloves on, a look of distaste on his face. “Well, at least they’re not black.”

“You were an outlaw, weren’t you?” Teo asked, changing the topic, directing the question to Jensen. For the time being their party sat covered by brush and a few smaller trees. “This is a secluded landing spot you must have used for smuggling. And your knowledge of lifting prints is impressive.”

Jared watched the expression on Jensen’s face change from thoughtful to guarded. “I was a Captain of a crew of twenty. That’s all.”

The omega smirked and shared a look with Gannon, who shook his head. “Yeah, sure you were. Jared has a point though. We got a mile to go with no cover except our asses. And mine is pretty but we need more to go on.”

Jensen sighed and pulled out his handheld weapons, the same kind he had given each breeder on their escape through the forest of Lee. “We aren’t running. We will be walking. If we look like traders or merchants hawking shit they won’t give a damn. Running makes us look suspicious. Worse comes to worse and you two will shift. Jared and I can pretend we’re trying to sell you.” He stood up and handed one of the silver glove-like weapons to Teo. “With your thumb, press the outside layer of it. Don’t touch the center and don’t shoot. Jay, here you go. Light them like flashlights.”

Doing as Jensen instructed, Teo asked how they would not seem suspicious. It hardly seemed like there were any other people walking around.

With a sigh, Jensen explained. “You’ll have to trust me, okay? I chose this base for a reason. The Colonel here is a drunk he keeps a lax protocol. I used to drink him under—I know that right now he’s dead asleep at his desk and the officers are fucking around. They’ll see us but we are going to wave and smile like everything is just peachy. Alright?”

Teo murmured to Gannon and Jared. “Those are the words of an outlaw.”

 

Nothing was left behind. Their landing area was swept and checked again with the keen eyes of both cats.

The meteor—bolide, as Jensen called it—that had crashed with them had small deposits of silver all over it. Tapping at it, Gannon announced that in another life he would have gladly chiseled away at it and set himself up really good.

“Real well,” Teo snipped at him, adjusting his handkerchief, which he had decided to wear around his neck. “Don’t speak like such a hick.”

“La-dee-dah. I’m surprised you don’t speak with more of a drawl, comin’ from New Orleans.”

Both cats said New Orleans in such a way that Jared tried to duplicate. Even Jensen’s drawl was different from theirs. Teo assured them all that he could speak like a native New Orleans cat but he preferred not to. “My tone is neutral on purpose, thank you,” he sniffed and swatted at Gannon. “I am not looking forward to being anyone’s pet, Jensen. I hope your plan works.”

His Master was quiet, lost in thought as they walked from the protection of the forest into the open blackness of the gently sloping hill-side. These landscapes reminded Jared of better and worse times. Alongside his Master he wished—just for a moment—that they were returning from one of the many familiar trails on their property and headed for the porch swing. Where perhaps Nicky was waiting for them, and Jeff had left a lantern lit, and the Judge was setting their table. When they returned, laughing and coming into the gentle warmth of sturdy walls, the older breeder would lightly scold them for losing track of time. But she would soon serve a thick, delicious stew into large bowls for them all. Surrounded by a forest full of healthy greenery and flowers on the edge of blooming, their household would wait for them at the end of this winding trail, glowing warmly amongst a darkness that did not frighten him.

He was half in love with what he could not have—with what was not waiting.

What interrupted his own haunting thoughts and Jensen’s reply to Teo, was the blinding puncture of a searchlight.

“Don’t worry,” Jensen muttered to Jared, closing the distance between them, looking up and waving towards the glider that hovered at least four stories above them. “Wave, Jay. Just wave. They’re not interested in petty merchants. There we go, good job.” Jensen had not disguised his face for their walk, even though he was wanted for treason. Masking his face would send out a sense that he had something to hide and warrant the soldiers on the gliders to land and conduct an interview. Therefore, he left his face uncovered, and smiled as he waved. Jared tried to do the same. The cats beside them acted as naturally as possible, waving and relaxing their body language.

Teo and Jared had been clever enough to wave with the hands that did not wear the handhelds.

The gliders moved on, the searchlights turned to other portions of the valley.

Gannon let out a loud breath. “Well, whaddya know. Captain of a crew of twenty knows how to play the game after all.”

Jensen reached out and took Jared’s hand, holding it firmly, whispering if Jared was okay. The young breeder nodded. He wondered what voices and memories Jensen was being haunted by—what he wished for at the end of their trail.

“Just keep walking,” Jensen said simply. “We’re almost there.”

 

 


	42. Lad

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jensen separates from the party and tries to procure the gliders.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so many good things here that were fun to write! it makes me want to write a little prequel fic about who Jensen was before all of this. :D
> 
> little cliffhanger because you know me. <3 graphic warnings for the next chapter coming up.
> 
> thank you!

Jensen:

They had met a sculptor once.

Come to think of it, she had looked a lot like Nicky.

Secluded from a main city, in the sloping hills of a lush countryside, she worked out of a large barn and lived in a tiny hut. Amongst all her work tools and blocks of marble, were swords and weapons aplenty; no one ever stole from her.

Jared had watched her for hours, captivated by her ability to pull forward a human figure from within blushing pink stone. And for a long time after, even in the obscure regions of space their missions sent them to, Jared would wake up in their bunker and tell him he had dreamt of the sculptor. Sometimes the dream would be her carving away at a swan, with her making details on its outspread wings. Others, Jared would wake up with tears in his eyes, his tone despondent.

“It was a phoenix,” Jared had murmured more than once. And one time, after a stormy night that had required Jensen to leave their bed and attend to the ship, Jared announced sadly that the dream had ended differently. The sculptor had thrown her phoenix to the ground, where it shattered, burst into flames, and took down the entire barn—its creator with it. After that one dream there were no more mentions of the sculptor or her work.

 

He remembered when their entire world was as small as a bunk bed bunker—even with the enormity of space outside their one porthole window.

 

Jared’s family had insisted on a closed casket funeral.

Even with the best undertaker, very little could be done for the body.

So many bones had snapped.

Like chicken bones.

 

There was a buzzing, tingling feeling in his neck that no amount of rubbing would ease. When he figured it out, as they approached the gray brick building, he couldn’t help but smile.

They knew about his deal. They knew that she had snapped his neck.

What they did not know was that he was prepared to do it all over again—reminders or not.

 

Singing it into his neck, into the curve of his shoulder, into the slope of his chest right above the cage that held his heart. Whispering it before, during, and after. Tumbling together in the darkness they created, lit by one red lantern Jared insisted on keeping. Very little room to move around in but they made do. Sung into the silky wisps of his hair, breathed into his open and waiting pink mouth. Pounded into him until the crest of hunger turned into a full, bright moon.

It didn’t matter who sang which part.

Who started it first.

“I can make you satisfied in everything you do. All your secret wishes could right now be coming true.”

“Spend forever with my poison arms around you. No one’s gonna fool around with us.”

“No one’s gonna fool around with us.”

“So glad to meet you.”

“Angeles.”

 

“Jensen?”

“Hmm?”

“Jensen?”

“What?”

A rough hand shook his shoulder. Gannon snapped his fingers in front of Jensen’s face. “Yo. You zoned out there for like, a minute straight. Did you hit your head when we landed?”

Shoving Gannon away, Jensen bristled and turned away to hide the pain in his voice. “I’m fine.”

They were at one of the corners of the base. He looked at Jared, who seemed hurt and shy, who cast no shadow and wore no ring. Who had fingerprints and dimples identical….

“Your hallucinations are getting worse,” Teo said, stepping in front of Jared protectively. “I think it best that we proceed as quickly as possible.”

If he had been hallucinating…times since passed… Jensen wondered what haze Jared was wading through. Jensen’s eyes met Teo’s and he nodded, and then turned to see their surroundings. It had never been a large base but there seemed to be extra storage sheds added. Fortunately, that was the only major change Jensen could notice from their position. Glad to see that he had been correct about the officers slacking, three of them passed their party, completely oblivious to their presence. They were also drunk as fuck, but Jensen did not comment on that. Incompetent officers or not, it was still best that they remain as unseen as possible.

The less attention they drew to themselves the better; this wasn’t even the most difficult part. Navigating the Council headquarters would require skill that Jensen had tried only one before.

And Jared had been there to haul his ass out of jail.

Sighing, Jensen looked over and found two parked gliders. They were older models but they’d do just fine. Newer ones were pitch black and shiny—so that they rippled unseen and silent in the dark—but these were a light gray. When he had first learned how to ride a glider, his instructor had explained it as riding a squat, much rounder motorcycle. The passengers had their legs on either side of it and the driver would press their hand on the front, below the handles. If the driver had clearance, the pad would glow a soft, light blue, and the engine would start. Acceleration was sensitive on the newer models but these would be perfect for them.

“Stay here,” he directed his party. “When I give a signal, y’all come over. You two,” he said to the cats, “will follow us. If we need to land I will flash the back lights twice.”

“How do you land?” Teo asked, keeping his voice down.

Gannon grumbled, “You aim down and brake. Ain’t that right?”

“No,” Jensen replied dryly. “That’ll get you killed. You accelerate, aim down, and let go. Do not brake to land until you’re a foot away from the ground. Maybe Teo should drive.”

The discussion was interrupted by the appearance of the Colonel himself, accompanied by an officer. Perfect, Jensen thought to himself, just what they needed. He glanced at Jared then turned to the garage. Half fixed and torn apart machines—gliders, cruisers, army patrol vehicles—were stored here. It was a junkyard that when picked through properly, yielded some choice parts for black market dealers. Not that Jensen would know anything about that. His boots were nearly silent on the concrete covered in hay and sawdust—to soak up the oil—so he made sure to make noise and be seen. The Colonel’s beady, crystal blue eyes narrowed at his approach. Luckily, the officer was a newbie, a young man of no more than seventeen with ginger hair and hard features. Easy mark.

“I say,” the Colonel announced, slurring his words and making his English accent thick. “That you, Ross?”

“Indeed it is!” Jensen snapped back, bright and loud. “I’ve been waiting for you Johnny. Kept me waiting here half an hour already. Not very nice when I’ve got places to be, people to see.”

Confused and obviously drunk, the Colonel raised his hand and scratched his balding blond head. “Nah, Ross, you’re… you’ve been waiting for me? Higgins, why didn’t you tell me I had a game tonight?” The officer seemed to recognize Jensen but he hadn’t made the connection yet. Jensen swooped in, looping his arm around the Colonel, keeping his face hidden from the officer, and guided the Colonel toward the inside of the garage.

Mouth close to the Colonel’s ear, Jensen spoke. He kept his accent muffled, changing it up every sentence, aiding to confuse the Colonel further. “He didn’t tell you because it’s a _secret_ game tonight, Johnny. Try to keep quiet about it, eh? Stakes are big and you know I want those purse strings of yours.” Jensen pat the Colonel’s sizeable belly. “You’ve lost weight, eh? Laid off them cookies we send you? You look good, ‘fraid I’ve gained weight myself.”

“Nonsense!” the older man blurted out. There were dirty yellow stains on the Colonel’s beige uniform; all his medals were askew. “What’s the story on this game, Ross?” His breath smelled of the usual vodka and whiskey mix and his voluminous cheeks were already red, with a tinge of purple. “You know, Ross, I thought you died.” The officer was waved away and Jensen let out the breath he had been holding.

He muttered into the Colonel’s ear. “Don’t be a fool, Johnny. Dead men don’t play poker. Let’s get you up there? Boys are waiting.”

“I’ll want to wash up first!”

“Of course, Johnny. Go on, wash up and we’ll have sandwiches ready.” He gave the Colonel’s shoulders a gentle push in the right direction—towards the entrance that would lead to a stairwell. That would keep the Colonel occupied while they nicked the gliders.

“Ross?” the Colonel blurted out, holding onto the door for balance.

“Yes Johnny.”

“I’m sorry to hear about your lad.”

At that moment, Jensen almost felt sorry for fleecing the old man.

“Thanks, Johnny. Go on and wash up. You’ve kept us waiting a while now. You won’t get to deal.”

He would be dead in a year, Jensen felt certain, if not for unknowingly aiding a treasonous Captain, then by the swig of a bottle too deep. His eyes were too red, his jowl too heavy. As the Colonel disappeared from sight, drunkenly singing to a tune, Jensen shook himself from somewhat fond memories and ran over to the gliders.

They each had half a tank of fuel.

That would be more than enough.

Though he wanted to press his palm against the pad—just to see—he knew better. They might be watching who activated the gliders and he didn’t want to be caught for such a stupid detail. Just as he was about to signal to the waiting party, he heard the cock of a gun.

“Where are you planning on taking those gliders, smooth talker?”

Fuck. The stupid officer.

Gun held to his temple, Jensen held up his hands. “Easy now,” he murmured lowly. “Kill me and the Colonel won’t be too happy.”

The kid sneered and spat at Jensen’s boots. He was dressed in a formal soldier’s uniform, red and black to signify his rank. “The Colonel is a shit-faced old fool who’ll believe anything anyone says, as you have proven. What are your plans? I’m running your face through the database as we speak. I wonder what bounty they have on you.”

“Several,” Jensen admitted. “They never did clear it.” Where the fuck was back up when he needed it? “Say, you wouldn’t happen to know if the Colonel has a spare set of handhelds, do you?” Jensen was trying for time. He inwardly cursed when the ding of the database from the officer’s phone went off.

With a gasp and a half laugh, the kid bust out, “You! You’re Jensen Ackles!”

He glared at the kid.

“Oh my goodness!” the kid shrieked in delight. “You’re worth more dead, lucky me! Guess I will kill you after all. Shouldn’t have come here on _my_ watch!”

The gun was lowered from Jensen’s forehead to his chest.

“To preserve your face, so they believe me,” the kid murmured. “What? Why the hell are you smiling?!”

 

The gun went off.


	43. Watch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jared suffers from his own hallucinations; a gun goes off and their departure from the base is hurried.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> warnings for this chapter include: graphic references to past abuse, trauma, rape, beatings/physical violence, psychological/emotional abuse. proceed with caution.
> 
> getting close to the end of this--just a head's up! just about 10-15k words left to go. :D

“Watch.”

Old Master had chained him to a post in the bedroom. There would be no pallet for Jared tonight.

“Watch how a good breeder serves their Master.”

He had been too slow at servicing Master. It was difficult—not that anything shouldn’t be for a breeder—to move with his belly. He had only just started to get used to the weight of it, the way it changed his body and all of his movements. Master had him lying on his back, which was painful and rendered the young breeder unable to move against his Master. Three hard slaps to the face later and Jared had been shoved off the bed; Master had been smart enough to shove him on his side so he hadn’t landed on his belly. Dazed, Jared was then whipped with the short whip Master always kept close at hand.

“Please,” Jared had cried out because he still hadn’t known any better. “I’m sorry, Master, please!”

Ten lashes turned to twenty.

Blood dripped over the collar he had around his neck. Master had whipped his back and neck.

Nathaniel sniffed that he didn’t want to lie in sheets occupied by a second breeder; Master snapped at him that he would lie down and demonstrate at once. Because Nathaniel was smart and beautiful, he only murmured a quick, “Yes, Master” and did as he was told. Not only that—he kissed Master. He ran his hands through Master’s fair hair. He let out a laugh and a happy noise and moaned when Master pushed into him.

“I said watch!” Master shouted from the bed. “I’m going to beat you after this, after your lesson, do you understand?! Watch!” A bronze cup from the nightstand was thrown at the second breeder, who could not avoid it, and was struck with it. There would be a large black bruise on his left cheek in the morning. Jared knew right away that the bruise on his face would be the best outcome of the entire night.

Silent, he watched.

Master was so different with Nathaniel.

Although he was rough—because Masters needed to be—he caused Nathaniel to feel good. The first breeder keened loudly, glancing over a few times at Jared and smirking, complimenting Master until they were a fevered motion of limbs and muscle, the bed shaking with the force of their service.

The first breeder came, letting out an uninhibited climax. Master had let Nathaniel’s controls loose for the evening. Jared wondered, as he felt his face swell, what his own cock felt like in that state. When Master had successfully bred him he had been brutal—no, that was the wrong word, he had been a good Master—and had done it while Jared had been locked in the closet. Flinging the door open, ripping away at Jared’s hair with large hands, Master shoved the second breeder against the wall of the closet and took him there, then dragged him to the tub where he finished breeding Jared, who watched his blood drain with the last of the bathwater.

His memories were so out of order.

And he was so ungrateful.

Master had saved him from the farms and all he asked in return was for Jared to not be so slow, so lazy, so inattentive to his needs. All he required from Jared was for him to service him adequately and the second breeder could not even do that.

“See how I care for him,” Master yelled, suddenly gripping onto Jared’s hair and yanking the chain around his neck. “No one will ever service you that way and do you know why?”

“…I…” Jared was choking.

The chain was tugged and Jared’s head slammed into the wall. “Do you know why, you wasteful, pathetic excuse for my breeder?! Tell me why.”

Tears in his eyes, Jared stammered out his reply.

“I’m bad!” he cried out and screamed when the whip reappeared, this time with an intensity that blinded him. He begged for Master to forgive him.

The only reason Master stopped—when Jared was still, his eyes wide open in horror—was the gentle reminder from Nathaniel, who was perched on the bed still, that Jared was carrying pups. Nathaniel would make Jared pay for the assistance later.

No one wanted to sleep with a filthy second breeder in the room, so Master dumped him into the empty tub in the bathroom.

No one wanted him.

No one at all.

 

Teo managed to pull Jared out of his hallucination in time for the young breeder to hear Gannon announce that there was a pistol on Jensen.

“Go deal with it,” the omega hissed, kneeling with Jared on the ground. “Or do I have to do it?”

There was a flash of something in the beta’s eyes but Jared didn’t know him well enough to entirely read it. He slipped off his gray gloves and replaced them with his government ones, the sight of which still caused Jared to shudder. Teo nodded, understanding, and crawled away from Jared and towards the corner. He motioned for Jared to join him, which he did.

Jensen looked surprisingly calm for having a pistol pointed at his head—and he continued to look calm when the pistol was lowered to his chest. Jared’s heart beat wildly and he looked at the omega for a signal. What were they to do?

“Gannon will handle it,” Teo whispered into Jared’s ear.

Over the oil-soaked hay, Gannon’s boots did not make one noise.

The officer did not have a chance to scream, though his gun was fired from shock.

The arm holding the weapon swung wide to the left; it missed Jensen and Gannon. Jared heard Jensen instruct the beta, “Don’t kill him” before the body was dropped to the floor with a thud. The young breeder had seen that done to disruptive breeders in the kennels before. A guard would come in, drag them out of their cage, and wrap an arm around the breeder’s throat. Sometimes a windpipe was crushed or a neck was snapped; most of the time, however, the breeder only passed out and was dragged somewhere else, into a room no one entered willingly.

“We’ve got to hurry,” Jensen snapped at their party, helping Gannon toss the body aside in a pile of hay, covering him up with tarps. “A single shot won’t go unnoticed, even on this base. Are you ready to fly?”

The gliders frightened Jared. The fastest he had ever gone had been on horseback, when he was helping Master Eli tend to his stable. Even the sleek muscles of a horse could not rival a glider. Still, this was one of the many wonders from Jensen’s world. Jared hurried to climb on, swinging one leg over and settling in behind Jensen, who would be driving. The cats settled onto theirs, with Gannon driving their glider. There was very little time for anyone to acclimate to this technology.

“Turn it on, Captain,” Jensen said with a small smile. “Let’s get this show on the road.”

This had to work.

If it didn’t work then they had come here for nothing and had left the Pride vulnerable to attack.

It had to work.

Jared reached forward and pressed his hand on the pad.

It lit up blue.


	44. Pummeled

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jared rides on a glider; the first portion of their plan is completed and they must begin to break into the headquarters.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FINALLY. AUGH.
> 
> i really REALLY struggled with this chapter. you see, i'm much better at drama/emotions than i am at sci-fi or action. this is super challenging for me so i have to really work at these chapters. finally though!
> 
> please let me know what you think! 
> 
> thank you for reading. <3

Mountains could be seen in the distance.

The Moon here was a frosty stranger, embalmed in a glow of amber and copper. It nearly looked as if it were dipped in old, dried blood. Queenly, she haunted the young breeder, full of power and possibility, age-old and ancient. She had borne a world capable of so many bewildering objects; guided an entire people to invent winged chariots, horseless and silent. She knew that Jared’s presence here was wrong—he threw the natural order of things off balance.

What a world to know.

Where anyone could fly, flit, and wind through voluminous clouds. He should have been afraid. He should have been screaming at the sense of weightlessness and at the knowledge that all that was between him and a fall to his death was the whirring hum of the glider underneath. Instead, he felt free. The altitude flirted with him, charmed him in the end, singing into his lungs and filling them with the coldest, purest air. Pitching forward, Jensen drove with expertise, occasionally checking on their party behind them, who seemed to be adapting well.

Every time Jared closed his eyes he saw snippets of his life from before. They were tiny, disjointed fragments of a larger quilt. But just like the stars he had passed, these moments were infinite. They stretched out forever, into something colossal—enduring, everlasting, and preciously endless.

Yes. There it was.

Their first kiss.

The glider began its magic descent.

A red glow from the hotel sign outside their room.

The mountains disappeared from view, slipping back behind the clouds and mists, steadfast guards to the hill-sides before them. The young breeder closed his eyes once again, his hair fluttering, wind rushing past, lifting his boots up.

Their bunker on Jensen’s ship. The porthole. The beds. Empty alcohol bottles from a darker time. A wedding. A guitar. Two silver rings. A grave. A casket.

His own disfigured, smashed up face.

A child with light hair and green eyes.

They landed.

And freckles.

 

Jared could not change who he was now.

But he knew who he had been.

And he wanted to see who he might become.

 

“I’m driving on the way back," Jared announced.

“You are, huh?”

Jared dug through his pack as Jensen and the beta hid the gliders in a nearby thicket. They were half a mile away from the building, covered by a cluster of foliage and statues. Some were sculptures of people, others of planets. All were enchanting, made of creamy ivory, and nearly seemed to breathe with life. There was one that caught Jared’s attention the most—one of a bird with wings of fire.

“I found them,” he breathed in relief and set his pack down. He pulled his slippers out and began unlacing his boots. Jensen saw the slippers and bristled. The young breeder pulled the concealed daggers out of his boots and strapped them to his thighs using something the Alpha had called Velcro. “I’m silent this way,” he explained to Jensen. “I won’t make a sound inside with these on.”

The beta looked over and scowled from the thicket. “You burn those when you get back.”

“If you burn your gloves as well,” Jared snipped without thinking. He paused for a moment, and both the beta and he looked at each other with wide eyes. Thankfully, Teo stepped in and chirped, “When _we_ get back. Hand over your boots, Jared. I’ll put them with the gliders.”

Jensen surveyed their landing location and swept a few things aside, trying to make it seem as if the land had been untouched. Grumbling, he announced that at least no one had thrown up or fallen off a glider, so there was that happy fact to celebrate. The next few parts of their plan would be difficult. Jared looked at the map that Jensen and Jeff had drawn before leaving—it was a detailed layout of the building and its surroundings. The building itself was in the shape of a pyramid, sleek and imposing, without a hint of personality or life. Jared supposed it had been left that way on purpose. Much of it was made of glass and metal, with floor to ceiling windows on the first floor. It stood larger than any of the buildings Jared had seen in the great city of Maya or even the stately ones in Lee. Since it lacked any kind of detail, it looked to him as if it had been prefabricated—like anyone could take it apart and piece it back with ease.

Four posts of watchful guards were spaced around the perimeter, at each corner of the pyramid, but since it was nearly dawn, they numbered few. From their place, Jared could see that each station had at least two guards, one with three. Jensen explained that they had arrived at precisely the right time. The guards on duty now would be tired from their shift, almost at the end of it, and likely to be lax in attention.

Although the building and all its security took up a lot of room, there was only one main road out.

“That heads up into Palatine,” Jensen said, pointing at the road on the map. “Three miles of road into a city of two thousand.” It was an arterial road, connecting the city with an honored and long established part of society. In Meridian, the main road in had linked the town with the kennel; Jared pushed back that thought and concentrated on what was around him at that moment.

“Bound to be an army somewhere,” Gannon muttered, his eyes shining. “We still goin’ by the plan?”

Giving a nod, Jensen surveyed the map and matched it to what he saw, making sure he was correct. “Yeah. Still all as planned.” He looked at Jared and shook his head. “You’re crazy for coming here, Jay.”

Jared took the map from Jensen’s hands and rolled it up, tucking it inside Jensen’s pack. “Thank you,” he replied simply with a small smile. The Moon here wished him neither luck nor misfortune. She was entirely uninterested with him. While that rattled him slightly, Jared carried on. Jensen took the time to go through what every guard carried with them as standard equipment: a set of handhelds, a gun, cuffs, and a strong chemical called mace that was meant to be sprayed into someone’s eyes. In comparison, the technology and weapons their party had in supply were somewhat meager. The young breeder checked his daggers and darts, and then adjusted his vest. Every member of their party was supplied with a vest that would keep out bullets, unless they were fired at close range. Also inside their packs were lightweight, but sturdy, shields no larger than their middles made out of material the Alpha had given to them. Any and all protection was welcome; they hoped it would not need to come in handy.

The young breeder had grown up with stories of Masters committing bold, courageous, and noble acts without one hint of fear, not a trace of hesitation! They had been fire-eaters, great and gallant and capable of saving not only their beloveds, but the entire town as well. Unafraid, these Masters had stood before creatures as large as households and slayed them with only a few valorous swipes of their swords. Jared’s favorite had been of a Master from the South on the edge of a cliff, looking into the eyes of a horrific creature—a reptile with wings and a long, dark blue snout. Curling, scorching flames erupted from the thing, painting the sky a blazing yellow and red. This Master was so brave that he didn’t make any mention beforehand of _if_ he would return; he only made sure to say _when_ he would return.

There was a modest belief increasing in Jared’s mind and heart that maybe, just maybe, a breeder could participate in such magnificence. Maybe there would be a story to tell of a breeder who had led.

 

Sweeping through their landing site, they made sure all was set into place.

Teo started the first part of their plan, strolling ahead of them out into the open.  

Behind the building were the vast breadth of mountains; the road ran parallel to them. On either side of the road were small bushes of white roses, tended to with great care. The grounds must have had a gardener on hand, since the grass was well-trimmed and clipped skillfully. Towards the mountains were spots of trees, more decoration than nature, with their tops trimmed into a round shape. Looking like a charlatan, Teo headed for the guard post closest to the single road.

“Excuse me!” Teo announced, walking onto the road, slipping in between the bushes. “I seem to be lost.”

The omega stood small in stature against the two guards that walked up to him. Except for the glint of his eyes, he was difficult to see. The three of them that remained crept behind the guards that were leaving their posts to speak to Teo, whose voice was provocative and alluring in the darkness. Breathily, he announced that his glider had crashed a few miles back and that he was not from this area. Projecting, his enticing voice carried and more guards left their posts. Even with the distance between them Jared understood what was happening. First breeders possessed a skill like that; he was sure Nicky must also have acquired such talent. Bewitching, Teo shone, his figure magnetic. He knew just the right ways to turn his body, to accentuate his curves, and the correct inflections of his tone. Pulling them closer towards him, Teo had their attention as the three of their party moved towards the minor stairwell that led to the entrance. Jensen held them both back before they ascended the steps, making sure Teo completed his commitment.

In seconds, the omega transformed from coy and arousing to lethal and relentless.

There were doubts about their party being able to take on such a mission; they were four against many.

Watching Teo renewed Jared’s faith in their mission. It gave him more hope about their chances of leaving and returning without injuries or fatalities.

Working like a spring, Teo waited until the precise moment to strike. He started with the guard nearest to him, pushing the palm of his hand up against their nose and propelling them backwards. In a series of fluid, fevered motions, Teo’s aim was true. His fists pounded on tender, vulnerable pressure points, with his speed and ferocity successfully competing against the adrenaline rush of the guards’ bodies. One, two, three he pummeled their abdomens, kicked at their shins, twisted and hit their wrists. He remained specific—any assault on their middle was directly aimed at their liver, right below their middles. This left those unfortunates incapacitated, on the ground and unable to make any sound, quivering as shock set in. On larger guards he managed to lift himself up using the bodies of other guards and bash their tender jawlines with the thrust of his heel or the punch of his closed fist. Working in a circle, the omega grabbed his pack and used it as an object to balance against and as a weapon. Twice, he narrowly missed blows to his head; both times he made those offenders bleed for their boldness, lashing out and breaking their noses with a satisfying crunch.

One particular guard—a foot and a half taller than the omega—refused to go down. Gannon nearly rushed out to the road; Jensen held him back.

Straightening and placing his shoulders back, Teo circled the guard, who looked on amused. When other guards showed signs of waking or getting up, the omega would put them down again without a second thought. The towering guard lunged and caught Teo’s hair. Surprisingly, Teo did not scream, though his face twisted in pain. It was a cheap move, even Jared understood that, and it did work to earn Teo a blow to his face. There were words growled from the guard to Teo that Jared understood; they promised gloomier things for Teo once this was done.

However, the omega’s stature aided him.

Swinging under the guard, he put the thin, serrated edge of his heel to work. Twisting his leg, turning around so that he was facing the ground, Teo kicked up and back. He heel hit the guard’s groin, busting it, dragging and scraping until it reached the guard’s balls, which were protected only by the fabric of his trousers. With a final grunt, the omega dug his heel in. He grasped the guard’s front and heaved, flipping him over and onto the ground with a crack. The omega was fast enough to silence the guard with his handkerchief, stuffing it into his mouth, sneering at the once lofty threat.

Breathing hard, Teo looked at their party and waved. The remaining guards on the opposite side of the pyramid would be around soon, searching for their comrades.

For the time being, this would distract them and send ones from the inside out to investigate. Teo could hold his own, but they needed to hurry. If the guards pulled out weapons, there was no way the omega would be able to hold them all off.

The first part of the break-in was done.


	45. Distress

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inside the headquarters, Gannon and Jared separate from Jensen to access the Aorta room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> no specific warnings for this chapter, just some feels at the end. ;-; 
> 
> it's been very difficult for me to adjust to this 9-5 schedule that they have me on this week at work. thankfully it ends and this weekend i'm off. so look for updates! :D
> 
> Your Law takes me a longer time to write and edit because i'm terribly careful about the imagery here. i want to take my time and make sure it reads like sci-fi. that's a bit more difficult than something like Punzel or House for me. but i soooo appreciate those of you still hanging in there with me for this fic. it means a lot to me that I handle the sequel to It Takes appropriately. 
> 
> i'm still rooting for jared and i hope you are too.

All of this was done in dream-like silence.

With a silver pen, Jensen hurriedly drew runes on each of their chests, careful with his strokes. There would be two guards at the entrance and two more further in. That would take care of the first floor, however, more waited below in the security room and upstairs on the second floor near the Aortas. The next difficulty would be slipping past all of them within five minutes. Runes had a shelf-life, the Judge had described before they had left, and could only hold for so long. The Alpha had commented that the runes the Pride used for protection did not expire—save for the tracking one he had given Jared. The writing from each group looked somewhat similar, yet had distinct stylistic differences. Writing them with ease, Jensen concentrated, his brow furrowed, biting on his bottom lip. They had an hour before dawn and already, the sky was beginning to lighten. Soon there would be the pastels of daybreak, lovely and harmful to them—light would expose their mission. They needed to be back at the landing spot before they lost the valuable cover of darkness.

The runes were finished and Jensen instructed Jared and Gannon to step forward. As he did, Jared felt himself change; his bones grew soft and his vision became sharper. He extended his hand and looked at it curiously. How he wished he could study this. The feeling was like being underwater and in space simultaneously, though this bloodless, fluid sensation did not scare him. They were all diluted into shadows that could blend in seamlessly with the shadows of objects around them. Their forms could press and squeeze and slip in between spaces of an inch’s room. The plain glass doors to the entrance—which did not require clearance, since this was a public space—were held open by Jensen, who had the ability to grasp at solid objects despite his water-like state. Rippling past, Gannon and Jared slipped into the building, both of them trying their best to adapt to these forms. Although each member of their party could see the motions they made—and still saw each other as bodies, not shadows—not one guard took notice of them.

Reaching inside his pack, Jensen dug out a handful of what looked like beads.

He cracked one and tossed it in front of him, past one of the guards. It rolled away and the guard followed it. Jensen threw another in the direction of another guard, causing that one to investigate as well. They were ivory pills of light, glowing softly, serving as a distraction. After this, Jensen signaled them forward, towards the middle of the extensive lobby. Taking note of his surroundings to familiarize himself and translate the map to what was before him, Jared was not surprised to see the same coldness on the exterior matched its interior. There were some furnishings along the walls—seating areas with simple, hard chairs and clear glass tables, and two paintings of landscapes that Jared could see. The lobby had an open-plan to it, much like the entryway at Master Eli’s household in Meridian. At the center of the floor was a circular room with closed blinds for privacy. Jared assumed that that was the chamber where the Council held its meetings. He wondered what it looked like inside, if perhaps it was more sumptuous and detailed than what he had seen so far.

It struck him as odd that this building was so plain, that these Masters did not indulge in decadence or surround themselves with opulence when they obviously had the means to do so. There were no dripping draperies of silver, no frames of gilded gold, and no testament to a household’s status or power in the world.

Amongst bare simplicity, their party split up again.

This time it was Jensen staying behind. He would go below ground to the security room and disarm the alarms for the building. The maximum shutdown time he could provide would be ten minutes. That would only refrain any alarms a guard might try to set off; it would not shut down the clearance access to the Aorta room. It was important that they kept their activities limited to the people here; the outside world and the city the building was connected to could not know about their presence here. If they did find out, what Gannon mentioned would come true—the army would soon be called after them.

Moving quickly, Jensen’s form swelled towards his destination.

The staircase Jared and Gannon needed to climb was at least twice the length and size as the grand staircase at Master Eli’s household. They passed two guards on their way through the first floor. On the right side of chamber, down a large hallway, the necessary staircase waited.

For some reason, one which Jared did not at that moment understand, as they seamlessly moved all he could think of were two activities he had done at Master Eli’s household. The crackle of a fire in the hearth could be heard as he pictured himself baking bread for the morning and then hanging up herbs to dry. Rosemary had been Master Eli’s favorite and he liked it spread around the household, amongst other herbs and flowers, and he enjoyed it when the breeders mixed it into dinner. In orderly bundles, Jared had twisted and tied up bundles of herbs, hanging them in pairs in the pantry and the kitchen. When they were properly dried—as Nicky had shown him—they smelled so sweet.

“Funny,” she had said once, taking some down for the night’s dinner, “that drying these makes them so valuable to us. How do you think breeders came about discovering herbs?”

At the time Jared had replied that he liked to think of it as a happy accident.

How he wanted her near.

How he needed her encouragement and steadfast reassurances.

Made of the same reflective, glossy metal as the rest of the building, the staircase posed a challenge. It was difficult for them to adjust to gliding forward and climbing each stair without slipping. Gannon adapted faster than Jared did, but he had to admit that he learned quickly. Breeders were naturally elegant, and although he knew he would never hold himself with the grace that Nicky did, he had managed to please Masters well enough with his movements. Wearing his slippers—familiar and soft—helped him catch up to the beta. Jared was tempted to count the number of stairs but he felt dizzy at the top.

Three guards were in sight on this floor. Two were directly in front of them; they passed through and stayed close to the walls. One guard looked near them but not at them, unable to pinpoint their presence or detect what they were. The young breeder stayed close to the beta, so that their forms nearly touched. In the center of this floor was the great room that stored every Aorta available.

Back at the Pride, the Alpha had questioned why Jensen’s superiors would choose to keep the Aorta in such a small building, outside a very small town in comparison to some of the cities that had been described. Jensen had mentioned a city called Young, with a population of fifty thousand. It seemed more appropriate to keep such an important building in a large, sprawling city. Jeff had answered that to their people it had made more sense to keep the Council headquarters tucked away in a sleepy location, surrounded instead by military bases and with only one major road that was tracked and monitored at all times. The security system that kept the Aortas safe was of the finest technology; attempting to break in through nefarious means was a sure-fire way to land in prison.

Safely reached a corner, Jared and Gannon lost their invisibility. Transforming back from their shadow forms felt strange, like taking in a deep breath and exhaling water. Gannon’s green eyes were wide as he readjusted and shook his head. Jared covered his mouth to prevent from hiccupping. The entire floor was laid out like a ring, with the Aorta room in the center and guards patrolling it all around. Two were posted at the stairwell while one walked the perimeter constantly, their boots heavy and echoing. Gannon was able to time the sound of their boots to the distance between them; for now, they remained unseen. That would, however, soon change.

“Ready?” the beta muttered, digging in his pack. “Get your mask.”

Following Gannon’s instructions, Jared took out his mask. It was a small thing, light as a feather, but Misha had assured him it would keep out any and all fumes while still allowing him to breathe. Slipping it onto his face to cover his nose and mouth, where it held in place on its own, he couldn’t help a small smile. Misha. Misha and Jeff and Nicky and Jensen and Gannon and Teo.

He knew so many… people.

They were not Masters or breeders—yes, they were omegas and betas some of them but that never seemed to define them—but actual people who called him Jared in return.

“You do it,” Gannon grunted and handed Jared a hand-sized white canister with a pin on the top. “Toss it fast and quiet. Like we showed you.”

Part of his training had been how to do this. Jared took in a deep breath. The little mask was a pale off-white color, not the same shade of white as the canister. He pulled the bright red pin and immediately it started hissing violet smoke. The Alpha’s firm but welcomed voice came back to him as he swung his arm and tossed the can onto the floor. It made a noise as it landed but became silent as it rolled down the hallway towards the three guards who had converged for the one point in the hour that they would see each other. Panicked, muffled shouts could be heard for two seconds, and Jared held his breath. They could not risk being seen so they counted three thuds.

“Wait,” Jared gasped, grabbing onto Gannon’s arm before the beta could look around the corner. He pulled Gannon back and counted to thirty in his head.

Two more thuds echoed through the hallway.

Jared knew from experience it was best to wait. Hidden from sight inside the Aorta room, two more guards had heard the thuds of the first three and come out to investigate. All they got when they checked were inhales of sleeping gas.

With a roll of his eyes, Gannon sighed. “Fine, you were right. Now c’mon. Wasted enough time already.”

Although it seemed like they had been doing slow work, Jared knew that half their time was about to pass. Neither one of them made a sound on the floor as they worked their way down the hall and over the bodies. Gannon would remain posted outside until Jared found the Aorta. From there, they would wait for Jensen’s signal at the top of the stairs.

While the young breeder would test the soil samples to ensure they matched, Gannon would be cuffing and tying up the guards so that they would not be problems later. For a moment, they looked at each other. Gannon stood at eye level with Jared; how much blood did he have on his hands? How many pits had he turned? Did he look at Jared and see the pits all over again?

Bristling, the beta looked away first.

“I see her,” he muttered. “I know what you’re thinking. When I look at you I don’t see death. I see her as I met her.” He slung down his pack and grunted. “Get on. Quit wastin’ time.”

Swallowing his fear, Jared turned towards the door. He had expected something elaborate but it was just like the rest of the building. Plain and singular, it didn’t show any reflections. On the right side of it was a glass cube, with sensors in the middle similar to the ones on the gliders. Jared assumed that he would put his hand there for the fingerprint identification. He stepped forward. Barely noticeable, built into the wall and at his height, was a tiny eye-sized camera peering out. It seemed to hum, as if waiting for someone to use it. Willing himself to calm down, Jared looked into it and pressed his hand on the sensor.

If all went well, the door would open.

If he was not recognized in the system or his clearance had been revoked somehow, alarms would go off and the rest of the guards in and outside the building would be notified. An army would be there in less than ten minutes.

A grid of red lights shined into his right eye and the sensor pad felt warm.

An image was displayed, glowing from within the wall. It was his own face staring back at him, except it wasn’t smashed up, nor was it his own face as it was at the moment. He was older, with a slight trace of stubble along his jaw. There was a hint of a smile there, lit up mostly by the happiness in his eyes.

Old Jared.

 _Padalecki, Jared. First Class Engineer, Traveler_.

“Fill in every part of my heart that is hollow.”

Tears filled his eyes.

Worse than the sound of that song in his head was the sound immediately after it. The sensor pad lit up blue and the door began to open. Through all that he could not get the sound out, could not ignore it, could not tune into any other noise around him.

The sound of one of his pups crying. 


	46. Echoes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inside the security room, Jensen hears a noise and consequences follow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> finally! this new work schedule has not only thrown me off, it's exhausted me. i don't know how folks do it on a 9-5 basis. i've just been so tired these past two days off. so happy to be at my usual schedule this week. hopefully i'll have more updates throughout today. <3 
> 
> for this chapter, i would go back and listen to "Looking At Me" by the Trishas. It's a song i used in It Takes, and the lyrics + the meaning are referenced and looked at a little more here. the one specific line mentioned will be important later.
> 
> have you see the artwork for this fic? Papp from tumblr did a beautiful portrait of Jared and Jensen--go see! 
> 
> http://ittakesalotofwater.tumblr.com/post/73746786884/no-ones-gonna-fool-around-with-us-a
> 
> thank you for hanging in here with me. :D

Jensen:

Getting downstairs was the easy part.

Computers and operating systems had never been his area of expertise; that’s why he had to have a skilled engineer for the ship. An engineer was more than a mechanic, though it was easy to call them that. They performed maintenance on the ship, yes, but they also calculated courses and documented the speeds of travel. An engineer with experience had always been highly sought after; a few of the wealthier, better-funded ships had tried to shark Jared into joining their ranks. Of course, after teasing and stringing them along, Jared had always said no. It had been his opinion that they would explore space together or not at all. Where one went, the other would follow.

That was the way it had to be.

A Captain had higher clearance than most individuals onboard and for civilians in general. But an engineer—especially one with Jared’s years of service and extensive expedition log—held a special place in the Council’s eyes. Engineers were more academically trained and often of well-established families with high connections. In addition to their mechanical contributions, many engineers were scientists. Jared had known a few colleagues that had served as chemists, biologists, and physicists.

Few had been all three.

Well, those few and Jared.

Working the Padalecki name, Jared had a completely legal and professional front that could not be traced to what he did in times when official eyes were not watching. Given his natural charm and easy-going personality he had made many friends who owed him favors; he had held politicians in his pocket like so many coins. It had been remarkable to watch Jared convince a Council member about funding something completely illegal. But the way Jared had told the story…

Enough.

That was all none of what was at hand.

The security room was like all the other main areas of the building—held in the center, circular in shape—and surrounded by offices for each Council member. These were politicians and community leaders with far-reaching connections. Jensen had never much cared for them. There was no business of theirs that required touching those offices, although he did a double-take when he saw a familiar name on one of the doors’ gold plates. His first officer had been promoted; it seemed, to a Council member. He hoped that that had been what she had wanted; not what she thought she had to do.

To think that someone would swap out space expeditions for a career in an office… Jensen could not understand it.

He had always looked to the sky and felt like he belonged there.

Amongst ruffians and criminals on the run and rogue black market merchants.

Amongst dying stars and multiple moons and artificial gravity.

Even now, he missed it and he knew he would continue to crave it. The Lake Claiborne Pride did not have the technology to create or sustain gliders or any other type of air or spacecraft. What had been their plan, then? A ship was no place to raise a child, let alone take care of a newborn. They simply… hadn’t gotten that far in their planning.

Free from hallucinations and voices for once, Jensen forced himself to think of his mission at hand. He waited until a guard left the security room and he slipped in soon after, before the door shut. Three guards at present were controlling the room; Jensen could see Jared and Gannon climb the grand staircase. Good. They had made it halfway. There wasn’t much time left, he could sense it, for his shadow runes, so he needed to act quickly. Slipping his mask on, he took out a canister from his back pocket and tossed it away from him so the guards looked the other way. To not alert the two guards outside, Jensen made sure the ones in the room did not drop off their chairs and onto the floor. He glanced at Jared on the upstairs camera—they had just released the canister on their floor—and began to cuff the guards and take their guns. He stashed as many guns and handhelds as he could fit into his pack, unwilling to leave them behind. If something went wrong they would need more than what they had to have any hope at defending themselves.

Once that was done and he was no longer a shadow, he began trying to hack into the system. It was his goal to erase their presence entirely and delete these few minutes from the system’s history in addition to cutting the connection to the army bases that surrounded the headquarters. Sweating, he steadied his hands. Jared had done this so effortlessly on a mission to Mars. The system then, however, had been older. “A fucking relic,” Jared had proclaimed, his fingers typing away. “I can’t believe they operate with this piece of shit.”

“This ain’t no relic,” Jensen muttered to himself in the security room, a million miles away from his memories. He had to listen for any of the other guards—pay attention to the sound of the door opening. It took him two minutes but he disarmed the building and clipped communications from there to the bases. At the same time he sent out a dispatch for any and all outside patrols to cover the back of the facility, leading them away from Teo and the main road.

“Jensen.”

Silence.

He shook his head. The controls were sensitive. Each one had a particular way of moving that if moved incorrectly, would trigger a set of smaller, internal alarms until the entire place lit up. While there was no communication to the outside, all the guards could still talk amongst themselves. Jensen gave them all ten minutes to notice that their comrades were drugged and unresponsive.

“Jensen.”

 There was no one in the room with him besides the passed out guards. Steady. He needed to concentrate. It would take time erase their presence and keep the alarms quiet. Jared was getting access into the room.

It was barely above a whisper.

“Sometimes your eyes, they could pierce through the darkness.”

No, it wasn’t that. He knew the song. He knew the memory it belonged to. And he knew why Jared had chosen it. It spoke the truth about Jensen in a way very few things could. Jared understood that Jensen wasn’t perfect; he was bitter and possessive and too hung up in his own moods. Sometimes he held himself back from Jared because he was worried… worried that he might spoil something between them. But Jared knew that Jensen’s eyes were always on him. In a room full of people—on board or on a mission—Jensen knew exactly where Jared was. And… it was somewhat of a warning to Jensen: he had to give Jared his own room to grow. But for everything, after all of that, Jared was watching Jensen back in the same way: consistent and steady.

That’s all the song had meant.

“Beware of the dark.”

Right?

There was a sound underneath the song he had to excavate and exhume.

Reaching, twisting for it, he pulled. It was there in the trenches of his mind, birthed from the pinpricks of heat and pressure around his neck, dumped into the foreground of his consciousness. Uncovered and brought to light it lay there, weighing down on him, tangible and terrible. The magnitude of it caused his hand to slip.

Guards were shouting from the doorway.

On a thin, sleek screen above him two guards were advancing on Gannon with guns raised and the beta was exposed. Jared was sealed away inside the Aorta room, where the reach of cameras did not extend.

Red.

Bright, blazing, scalding red was all around him—spreading like fire throughout the building—warning of intruders.

When their hands were on him, all Jensen could do was gasp.

How could they not hear it? It was so close, despite its frailty, regardless of its distance.

The sound of a pup wailing.

The pup that had been taken last, wrung and wrenched from its parent, dislocated forever from the young breeder bleeding and gasping on a dirt cellar floor.

Jared’s pup.


	47. Close Range

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jared reaches the Aortas but none of them are labeled. He receives help from someone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tw for this chapter--lots of references to It Takes and one character suffers an injury. cliff hanger ending to this chapter as well. i'm starting the next right away.
> 
> lots of questions! hang tight.
> 
> i'm still :O at this chapter. thoughts?

“Come on, come on, now baby don’t cry.”

“Hush now, hush now, it will be alright. Wait for the morning it will be there. Hang on, hang on now tight to this prayer.”

“Rising of the sun, burn away my sorrow. Chase away the night, pull me to tomorrow. Fill in every part of my heart that is hollow. That’s a prayer that you can borrow. Sing me, sing me the song from the start. Before, before your head won your heart. Think back, think back now can you find one? Shout it, shout it out loud now, come on.”

“Rising of the sun burn away my sorrow. Chase away the night and pull me to tomorrow. Fill in every part of my heart that is hollow. That’s a prayer that you can borrow. Sometimes a prayer’s our only hope…”

That was…

He wasn’t…

“My pup!” Jared shouted, the sound of his own voice startling him.

The door was already closed behind him.

Clutching at his belly, doubled over, he fell forward onto his knees. Breathing hard, tears refused to fall. Why? He felt them there on the edge of his eyes. He felt his grief swell up and choke him; his lungs wanted—needed—to push out a wail of inconsolable loss. Despair raged inside of him, made his belly ache, and the weight… he could feel the weight of its body on his chest once more. Covering his face, he did not want to see what might appear in front of him, what they might be capable of producing in front of his eyes instead of only in his head.

He had a job to do.

The job meant closing off their world forever. They would never leave and nothing would ever come in. Their pups would be completely lost to them. Were they well-fed? Were they hungry? Were they…alive?

Inside his head the sound of his pup waged battle with the sound of old Jared singing that terrible song—the same song Jared had sung to his belly full of pups. Old Jared would never know the true meaning of those lines, what they had provided to Jared and his pups, what it all ended up amounting to.

A noise from the other side of the door startled Jared; it broke through everything else. It was a gunshot.

Jared opened his eyes.

Standing before him old Jared stood tall, dressed much like he was now, except he had boots instead of slippers. He looked studious; not the least bit sad at all. Jared growled, low and threatening. How was it fair that he had to relive the most painful parts of his existence while old Jared got to live a life filled with Jensen’s approval, respect, and smiles?

Gannon. Gannon needed to be checked on.

But the hallucination in front of him turned and walked away, further inside the room. Would he look exactly like that in a few years’ time? Once he reached old Jared’s age of death, would he also die? Would he now live the life expectancy of a breeder or could he hope to live a little longer?

Unable to detach himself, and despite his rage, the young breeder followed. This was no ghost. This had been planted here, but for what reason? He dug into his pack and pulled out the soil samples. The room had no windows; the only light came from the thousands of illuminating Aortas. Jared gasped when he looked up and saw what exactly was in this room. Colors he had never seen before radiated from inside their tubes. Each test tube—that was how Jeff had explained it—was made out of diamonds and could not be shattered, except by another diamond. Every Aorta consisted of three or four marbles made from space material and soil. These marbles would dissolve instantly inside the earth of their home planets and from there, shut down that planet from the shadows of travelers or anyone else who might try to find a pathway in.

Each Aorta hung floating in air. Some seemed to dance in their sparkling suspension. Both Jared and old Jared stood in the center of the grand room, each of them covered in the brilliant, shimmering glow. Thousands upon thousands of keys to worlds Jared had never known existed were here, humming with power and potential, creating a cast of colors so magnificent it was rapidly dizzying.

How would he find the appropriate tube?

He had three samples to test and no tube had any label or marking that signified what it was.

Old Jared seemed as lost as he did.

Time seemed to be slowing down and speeding up at disarming speeds. What he thought were several minutes were only several seconds that had passed.

Knowing that three others depended on his timeliness, Jared stepped forward. His mind was blessedly clear of all sounds and he could hear his own breathing. There had to be a system, some kind of pattern that told the officials here what Aorta went to where. Old Jared remained still, looking towards a particular section of tubes. Jared peered towards it but felt off.

The Moon from this world pulled at him. She felt unfamiliar to him but her magnetism swayed him to the left. He obeyed her as he would have obeyed his own Moon. Drawn to the left, he took two silent steps towards a different section of the Aortas. Glistening, they hung above him. Reds, greens, blues, and even wintery whites shone. Some seemed to brighten at his proximity, which led the young breeder to believe that the tubes were conscious of his presence. Provocative and alluring, they seemed like an endless firmament, contained within this one room.

Jared wondered if there was a tube for this world.

He reached out but held back when he saw old Jared move towards him. They brushed against each other but it was not physical. Jared watched in awe as his forearm rippled from their touch. The image of old Jared, for now Jared knew he was not corporeal, rippled as well. Old Jared flickered as he reached out, upwards, towards a cluster of green tubes. The Aortas clinked against each other in a hurry to move out of his way. There were no strings or pulleys attached to the tubes, but they shifted and gave old Jared space. The green tubes were a little more stubborn, resulting in old Jared moving his hand from side to side, motioning for them to clear away. Old Jared huffed in the same frustrated way Jared did whenever his hands froze up when he was kneading bread in the morning.

 “Jared!”

Whose voice was that? Old Jared kept trying to move the green tubes out of his way, reaching and stretching, nearly on his toes. Jared touched his forehead; his head hurt.

Finally, breaking their persistence, the tubes shifted, revealing a dark red tube, shaped differently than all the rest. Instead of a simple test tube, this one had decorations on the edges, flared out, like wings. The crimson glow it gave was multilayered—at the bottom of the tube it seemed to burn bright blood red and it darkened in resplendent shades after. But at the top the reflection of the marbles shone on the tube; it made it seem like the wings were alight with fire.

Old Jared grabbed the tube and pulled it down.

He stared at it for a long while, the expression on his face changing from curiosity to horror.

Hastily, the tube was placed back and old Jared looked towards the young breeder. Their eyes met. Jared tried to stand tall and firm. What had the hallucination been looking at originally? What had been in Jared’s place in the first sequence of events?

Old Jared turned away, tears running down his face, and he flickered before vanishing.

For a moment, Jared stood there, trying to piece together everything. Was that the correct tube? It was as good as a guess as any. He reached for it, knocking other tubes out of the way, and got to it before the green ones could hide it away again. It felt light and cold in his left hand. With his right, he slipped one soil sample out and tapped it over and into the Aorta. Jeff explained that a smoke would appear, the same color as the last marble in the tube, if the soil sample was a match.

Shouting from the outside could be heard.

He needed to work faster.

Two out of three samples produced no smoke. Nothing.

Hands shaking, he tapped the last sample in. There were thousands of Aortas; he couldn’t possibly find one out of that many in the little time he had. He had been told to look for AOx527 but none of the tubes were labeled like Jensen had thought.

The Aortas swelled. Something was wrong.

The tube in his hand became hot.

He watched as an odorless puff of smoke—as red as dawn—curled up and around the tube. It was a match. These were the keys to the world that contained the Lake Claiborne Pride. Three marbles no larger than his fingernails would ensure that they would be sealed in forever, locked away and inaccessible to any and all entities in the vastness of space.

What had upset old Jared so much? Why had he been in this room at all, and how had he known to look for this tube?

Moving towards the door to leave, Jared heard sirens. He picked up his pace, but glanced at the tube before tucking it inside his vest. It happened in the matter of one second.

Displayed for him, swirling inside the first marble, was all of old Jared’s life as it had been and ended. The car crash. The funeral. Jensen’s deal. The witch laughing as Jensen’s neck snapped. The kennels. Nathaniel recognizing him at auction. Old Master’s household. His bin. The Doctor and the Judge setting his arm. The cellar. Three live pups. Three dead pups. Doll.

The guards in the kennels working his mouth open, shoving their genitals down his throat, using him until they gave up and branded him useless. The spray of water every day. The last auction, with his price marked down to its last price point. The opening of the doors, the appearance of Master Eli, the rounding of the carriage he drove to see Nicky there, waving at them both.

The heat nightmare.

Master Eli passing the papers of ownership to the Judge. The ambush of officials on their way out of Meridian. The porch swing. Jensen pressing into him in their bed before he had to leave for town. Jeff and him on their walks through the grounds.

The final image was of Jared holding the tube as he was at that moment.

Old Jared had known.

Somehow, he had known what would happen to him—to all of them.

 

Exiting the room, Jared had no time to think about any of these things.

As he stepped out and the door shut, Gannon grabbed him. They both moved away from the two guards coming up the stairwell. There was no other exit.

“Did you get it!” Gannon shouted over the alarms. The beta was panting, sweating, but otherwise intact from what Jared could tell. Tension was escalating as more guards could be heard at the bottom of the stairwell.

“Yes! How…”

“I don’t fuckin’ know,” Gannon snapped. They backed away from the stairwell, Gannon held a pistol up, ready to shoot the two guards who were the nearest.

Neither Gannon nor Jared saw the lone guard behind them.

 

The guard got one shot before Gannon turned and fired back.

It was too late.

Jared stumbled backwards, clutching his shoulder. 


	48. Swarm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There is only one way out of the headquarters.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it usually takes me an hour to write up a chapter of punzel or house. this though? two and a half hours for a little over a thousand words! that's including research and the time it takes to flip through the thesaurus. but i had so much fun writing this chapter! it takes longer but it's so neat to write sci-fi. 
> 
> anyway, i hope you enjoy! any comments are greatly appreciated. <3

Getting shot felt like being lashed with one of old Master’s spiked whips.

“You’re okay,” a voice insisted as the young breeder stood in shock, trembling from the biting sensation in his upper arm. “You’re okay, it hit your arm, you’re okay!” The voice kept shouting, unrecognizable and garbled as a blue handkerchief was tied around his arm, hastily covering the wound.

In an instant, Jared gasped and snapped back into his body, zoomed in on his surroundings.

Breeders could take it.

Breeders were meant to take it.

 

Time kept shifting, deviating from its axis, recalibrating like one of the watches in the kennels. The minutes that passed while Jared stumbled from being shot to breaking free of his shock spun around and became seconds. Shaking his head, he felt dizzy from the change, panting, his eyes moving rapidly around the hallway. The Aorta was unhurt, tucked in the soft suede pocket of his vest. They had to get out. Out.

But how?

Hammering, his heart felt bulky and burdensome in his chest.

The stairwell and hallways swelled with guards. In seconds they would become shredded prey.

“The windows!” Jared cried out, grabbing the beta with his unharmed hand, pulling them close. Desperately, Jared’s eyes searched Gannon’s. “Can you do it?”

Perplexed at first, the beta’s eyes narrowed. He snorted and wrapped an arm around Jared’s waist. “Of course I can _do_ it. Is this your order, Captain?”

Hurriedly, Jared nodded.

“Great. Not a problem,” Gannon muttered as they started to move towards the nearest expanse of smooth windows. “Just gotta crash through glass and land on my feet while holdin’ onto you. Yeah, no pressure. You know what’s good for you, you fuckin’ hold on.”

Silent, his slippers and the beta’s boots pounded against the floor. Pressed close to the cat, Jared could feel Gannon’s second of hesitation, where instinct told him he should slow down and avoid impact. Instead, the beta forced his body to pick up speed; Jared’s feet lifted, his body swung up by Gannon’s arm around his waist. Tearing towards the line of windows, the beta held his free arm up and began firing shots at the windows before them. Five rounds of quick-fire bullets pierced the glass, creating a multitude of veiny cracks and fractures. It might not be enough. Bolting faster and faster, both of them closed their eyes, turning and tilting their heads down, lifting their free arms up to shield their eyes from the shatter. It had to work. They had to strike against the glass with enough force at the correct angle and at the precise velocity. In the last few, precious inches away from the windows they accelerated, swift and agile. Jared’s feet hit the ground again, his slippers true and steady, muscles burning with exertion. Gaining momentum and bracing themselves, the collision was evanescent but meteoric.

Eruptive, Jared punched out a sharp breath. Tiny shards of glass scattered over them like rows of teeth from the jaws of a red-eyed creature.

Particles of glass burst alongside their bodies hung in the air for a fraction of a second. Through the rain of splinters, the young breeder witnessed Gannon change form in mid-air, his human body transforming smooth as liquid. Skin became fur and hands morphed into large paws with extended, sharp claws.

Jared’s breath hitched.

His heart pummeled against his chest.

Twisting, flailing, his right leg kicking out, Jared let out a panicked cry. He hit the side of the building with a thud, free-falling, his head knocking against the glass. Twice he managed to scrape at the surface, panicked. Winding, he slid down, wind rushing past him as he continued to plunge downwards. Twice, he rolled, unable to stop or reach the giant cat next to him. Further and further down they slid; Jared let out a scream.

One paw slammed itself an inch away from Jared’s head. The ground was rushing up at them.

With staggering effort, the beta flipped the breeder onto his back. Jared clung onto his scruff. Ten feet away from crashing onto the ground, Gannon pounced from the building, the large muscles in his hind legs propelling them.

Once again, the beta shifted while airborne. Human hands grasped at the breeder, fueled by a cat’s reflexes, and grabbed hold of Jared. Together, as they plummeted, they curled and tumbled head first onto the lawn.  

“Teo!” Gannon roared as soon as they came to a stop. “Teo!”

A panicked looking omega appeared, riding one of the two gliders. Jared winced and grasped at his left arm where the bullet was still lodged. “Jared’s hurt!”

“He’s fine!” the beta snapped and helped the young breeder stand up, despite their disorientation. “Take him, get the fuck out of here!”

“Where’s Jensen?!” Jared gasped, struggling against the cats’ motions to get him on the glider. “I’m not leaving without Jensen! Stop it!” The sound of guards running towards them increased; the weight of their boots causing the ground to shake. “Jensen!”

For one unbearable, agonizing minute Jensen did not appear.

Jared was bleeding from a cut on his forehead and from the wound in his arm. Half-inch scratches covered him from head to foot. Looking out, eyes scanning quickly, he could not find Jensen. The cats begged him to go—they had to leave while they still had an advantage of distance—but he refused to be swayed. Not one foot would move until he saw Jensen.

Rounding the farthest corner of the building, Jensen made a frenzied dash towards them.

“Go, god dammit!” Jensen thundered, closing the distance between them. His left eye was swollen shut, the rest of his face bruised, and he looked like he too had leapt out of a window. But he was there.

Getting on the glider with Teo, Jared felt a hallucination press at his mind. He heard the sound of it as the glider lifted and launched—Gannon and Jensen would take the second glider. Rising above the rush of cold morning air this hallucination was the sound of old Jared’s voice.

“Some of these worlds… they frighten me, Jen.”

 

Jared closed his eyes and let out a breath as he firmly held onto the omega in front of him. He turned to see Jensen driving the second glider.

But behind them…

Behind them was a swarm.


	49. Caged

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jensen escapes the guards, but through unfortunate means.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings for this chapter! Graphic physical torture, graphic birth scene, graphic depiction of blood, miscarriage, and abuse. Proceed with caution. 
> 
> i'm a little speechless for this chapter. i promise we'll move forward out of these scenes with the pups and this will have a good ending. just gotta hang in there. 
> 
> this was a heavy chapter for me. hmm. :/ 
> 
> next chapter though? full of ass-kicking.

Jensen:

A hallucination aided his escape.

Guards were pinning him down, punching every vulnerable point in his body, grappling to secure handcuffs onto him. Back flat on the floor, Jensen toiled, straining against the many pairs of hands forcing him still. Panicked, he knew he was losing an unfair battle. He would pass out soon either from the exertion or a blow to the head. Someone struck him in the gut, bashing the wind out of him, causing his eyes to roll back and his body to convulse. Here it would be, he could remember thinking, a replay of previous events and he would be dragged to a cell.

Potent like a drug, the hallucination blitzed his senses.

No longer was he lying down, or even in the same world. Panting and gasping for breath, he stumbled until he grabbed hold of a metal bar to steady himself on. As he lifted his head he took in any and every detail that could be of use to him. This was the most vivid hallucination yet, more than just sounds. The chill of the vast, white room dug and bit into his bones, gnawing there at the marrow until a sound swept through. It was familiar in a way but he could not pinpoint how. Eyes flashing, trying to focus, he found the source of the sound: a gush of water from an industrial hose. Icy and powerful in pressure, the hose was a geyser aimed at a person. Cries of agony reflected off the stark white walls, reverberating against Jensen’s temples, triggering his own howl of pain.

The victim was no ordinary person. It was a breeder. He could not make them out over the jet but he knew it to be true. Jensen’s eyes opened, filled with fluorescent light.

It wasn’t just a room. It was a kennel. Row after row of cages and cells lined the walls, each and every one of them filled. Horrified, Jensen looked to the cage he was supporting himself on.

Inside the cage was Jared.

Behind him was a litter of pups, their eyes not yet open, their cords not yet cut. Covered in blood, Jared’s hollow, empty eyes met Jensen’s. Nothing was said. The geyser shut off. Whatever held it up rattled, cranking to alter its direction. Every breeder in the kennel could be heard—their cries, their sharp breaths, their rapid, petrified heartbeats.

Jared doubled over. He let out a wail, one hand supporting himself on the ground, the other pressed against the bloody swell of his belly.

He was still giving birth.

Trembling, Jared looked up, but his focus was not on Jensen. The hose hung outside his cage.

Shrieking, Jared threw his hands up in a desperate attempt to brace himself, his body bending backwards to block the spray from the pups on the floor. This was what would happen. What would happen if they failed.

Click. Click. Click.

The hose aimed.

 

A surge of blistering white rage coursed through Jensen’s veins.

Shattering the hallucination just as the hose erupted, Jensen broke free.

No guard could hold him.

 

He could feel his face twisted and morphed by outrage, his lip curling. All the way up the stairwell he hemorrhaged fury. It would not end here. Cocking his pistol with one hand and holding up a handheld with the other, he ripped through guards, plowing towards the exit on the opposite side of the building.

It would _not_ end here.

 

 

Let them follow.

Jensen forced the glider to full speed. Neck and neck, their two gliders charged forward, fired at from behind. With a shout, Jensen ordered Gannon to hold on. He turned the glider to the right and did not stop turning until they spun in a circle. The second glider jerked from side to side, driven by Teo’s superior reflexes. Both gliders managed to dodge every shot.

Tearing through dawn Jensen could see Johnny’s base. Almost there.

 “Jensen!”

“What’s happening?!”

“We’re…”

The gliders were falling. Blue sensor pads glowed red.

 

Desperate, Jensen pressed his hand to the sensor.

Nothing.

The army had shut down their gliders.

 

Before his glider fell, he saw the second glider spin out of control, spiraling before it took a final nose dive to the ground below. It crashed just a few yards away from Johnny’s base.

 

Flames and smoke rose with the sun.


	50. Tampered

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Waiting in Lake Claiborne, Nicky anxiously awaits the party's return. The presence of the officials grows and two events happen to the older breeder--neither of them good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> warnings: mentions of attempted rape, graphic death, blood, fighting. 
> 
> i've missed nicky! i cheered for her this entire chapter. :D
> 
> about to fall asleep. edits later. <3
> 
> comments are appreciated!

Nicky:

Hours after Jared’s departure, a government official was found in the tree line.

The Alpha led a small pack of betas towards it. Nicky watched from where she could, demanding that Jeff and Misha to allow her to see what was happening.

Its head was severed immediately.

The rest of its body continued to thrash, its arms extended; gloved, fractured hands grabbed towards the sky. A shout came from a beta guard further inside the forest. At once, Madison shifted and bounded in, her sleek form disappearing amongst trees and tall grass. The Alpha looked on as the betas tore apart the official’s head and body, keeping them separate, and smashing something that sounded like glass breaking.

Minutes later, Madison returned.

There were more.

Hundreds more.

 

Forced inside for safety, Nicky tried her best to remain calm. Her hands shook as she paced around the fire pit. Keenly, she listened to her Master’s theories. A team of omegas and betas were in the forest exterminating every official that appeared. Every available beta was on guard at the tree line and the portal site. Children and older cats were moved to the safe house, locked inside by the Alpha, kept guard by Dustin, Madison, and a small group of the Pride’s most experienced members in battle and defense. A message from something called a radio was sent to the New Orleans Pride, requesting help and reporting that neither Teo nor the rest of the expedition party had arrived.

“There are many consequences that can happen as a result of improper time traveling,” Misha relayed, worry thick and persistent in his voice. No one could sit still long enough so everyone stood. What was left of their party had gathered at the pit, along with the Alpha, Ms. Deb, and a handful of omega hunters. No fire burned.

Misha continued, “An incorrect calculation—off by only a small margin of error—can lead to traveling to worlds unintended or… physical changes to the travelers themselves. I… We had never seen it… Every care was taken with our coordinates. Jared had been…”

Interrupting, the Alpha snapped, “They are multiplying in number and strength! How can this be? They were easily toppled before, now they are fighting back! What has changed?”

It was true, and although the Lake Claiborne Pride was sizeable, they could not hold out forever. It would be hours before aid arrived—if any.

Breaking his usual composure, Misha’s tone took a sharp turn. “The further you are from the correct calculation, the more deformed and unnatural your original form becomes!” He looked towards the tree line, blue eyes sharp. “They’re trying. They’re rapidly becoming better and better at replicating our means of travel. It is like they have found the door and they only need the correct key to open it. There are only so many left to try before they are completely successful and the portal is opened.”

“And the solution?” Ms. Deb asked, standing beside the Alpha.

A cool breeze blew by them.

Nicky shuddered.

In a voice void of emotion, Misha replied, “The Aorta.”

 

All night, the omega and beta cats worked at holding back the officials, which were no longer blind and fumbling. Nicky heard an omega tell this to a beta ready to replace them at the line; shifts were to be taken so that some could rest while others fought. Someone had timed the officials’ arrival to three per every half-minute, climbing from a trench in the forest that could not be closed or sealed despite every frenzied effort.

As she paced outside her household, under the cool cover of night, Nicky refused to rest. Misha was still at the fire pit, speaking with Jeff and Ms. Deb. She had been asked to stay at their household, which frustrated her but disobeying now amongst the chaos would be adding to their problems. She paused, listening for movement, feeling a tingle light up her left arm. As she was about to call out to whoever was stepping around, she felt her chest tighten. The Moon pushed its energy inside her belly and forced its way up, into her lungs and out of her mouth.

Gagging, choking, she fell to her knees.

When she closed her eyes she could see Jared’s face twisted in terror, framed by smoke. The Moon shoved her so that she was on her belly, nails scraping at the ground below her. A hallucination hovered at the edge of her mind but the Moon crushed it into powder.

A familiar sensation started in the soft underside of her belly.

Tossing onto her back and staring up at the blood red Moon above, she opened her mouth. No noise came forth. All sound froze in her windpipes, beaten back, pelted into her lungs.

Heat.

She was in heat.

 

Breeders were taught never to befriend other breeders. It was unnatural, she had heard a few elders say, for breeders to form friendship. It was best to tend to one’s Master and let that be it.

Nicky’s eyes refocused; she came nose to nose with Suya.

The kitten let out a frightened meow, trembling all over, its fur disheveled and matted.

Groaning, Nicky reached out for him. He stumbled over his paws and drew back from her, meowing at something she could not see. She sat up and looked around. Still in front of her household; she teetered with effort as she crawled towards the kitten.

He was leading her somewhere and was obviously distressed, yet he would not allow her to touch him.

Further away from the cluster of households around them she pulled herself along the ground. Breathing hard and panting she felt slick start to run down her thighs. Thoughts of Eli and Misha waged war within her head and chest. Bleeding brilliantly, the Moon palpitated. Bred. She needed to be bred. But what would that mean here? Would she die if Misha refused? Her controls hadn’t been changed from second to first—would she still give birth to a litter? Although Misha was her Master in terms of ownership, he was not her mate. Even then, the term mate was applicable to the cats in the Pride, not to breeders. How could she belong to him when all she had to offer was servitude?

“No!” she cried out, collapsing, head lolling. Her thoughts were not her own.

There was more to them—her and Jared—than their submission. 

Her dress was soaked with sweat and slick. Somewhere, the kitten yipped in pain.

Disturbed, she turned over onto her side, crying as she felt her belly swell with phantom pups. Why would the Moon do this to her? She rolled and cried out when a boot hit the side of her head. Through the ringing, dull pain in her forehead she was tormented with the distinct feeling of twelve pups inside her. They all moved with her, until she felt one large hand wrench her hair and another grab at her dress.

“Your mouth is open,” she heard herself say, “like a fish.”

“Stay still,” her first Master snapped, holding up a whip. “Stay still!”

“Don’t move.” That voice was new. A handful of her hair was extracted from her head but a handkerchief stuffed in her mouth prevented any sound from escaping. “If you move, I’ll snap his neck with my fingers. Stay _still_.”

The scene before her shot into focus.

Eloi knelt over her, one hand undoing the laces on his trousers and the other holding Suya up by his scruff, shaking him every few seconds.

A pup kicked.

Nicky felt tears in her eyes. At one point in her life, this situation might not have seemed different from any other day. The large beta loomed above and over her, leaning forward, whispering that when they finished she wouldn’t live to see the sun.

That in itself did not alarm her.

She could still feel the dirt under her face as she knelt on the road, ready for the next carriage, waiting for it wheels to crush her head and end whatever miserable life she had.

In the two seconds that she closed her eyes, she breathed in deep. Misha always asked. Every. Single. Time. He asked her. He said _please_. He never held her down, never caused her panic, and he only pulled on her hair when she asked him to take her rough, to test their limits as they moved together. She could have him over and over again as much as she desired because he told her, sprawled out in the grass one afternoon, “Take it all from me, love. Take it all.”

There was trust in his eyes looking at her. Trust and something else, something she had found in the good people she had met, something she saw every time she looked at Jared: love.

Enough.

 

The splinter and crunch of the beta’s nose underneath the palm of her hand—and the spray of his blood that followed—was wholly satisfying. Dragging and forcing herself out of her heat-dazed state of mind, she labored to gather her reflexes. There was no way she could physically overtake him but she would not have to, however, she did need to get Suya out of harm’s way. She grabbed Eloi’s massive hand and pried his fingers away from the kitten, spitting out the handkerchief he had stuffed into her mouth and biting down with as much pressure as her jaw could give. A swing was taken at her but she dodged in time to break Suya free. The kitten tumbled onto the grass but he was fine. He would be fine.

One second afterwards, the older breeder was unfortunate with her speed in movement as Eloi’s fist brutally struck the left side of her face.

Pounded backwards, Nicky fell.

He lunged at her.

Dazed, she did the only thing she could do, the only means she had left of defending herself until the world stopped spinning. Ear splitting, she forced her voice as loud as possible, pushing her lungs harder and harder, screaming in the open field. The beta let out an irritated roar and she knew he would shift any second. In his cat form she would stand no chance against him. A breeder could take a hit or two but her reflexes would not outmatch his.

Eloi’s face was reddened with blood and rage. Kneeling in front of her, pulling at the front of her dress, bringing them in close enough for her to feel the stench of his breath, he bellowed, “You’re nothing but a…”

Nicky did not allow him to finish that sentence.

From the secret strap on the inside of her thigh, she pulled the dagger that had been given to her by the Alpha. The serrated blade had been recently sharpened. In one clean thrust, with a sick squelch, she stabbed his heart. Their eyes met. His mouth hung open and his arms faltered at his sides. She watched him die choking on his own blood, filled with wrath until the very last second, when he body went still and she dumped him onto the ground.

Getting to her feet, she shook and held the dagger up, her chest heaving.

At the approach of the Alpha, she extended the dagger’s handle to him, kneeling in deference. She heard Suya bound up to his parent. The scene was grisly. As she waited for the Alpha’s reaction, keeping her head down and throat barred, her eyes drew to Eloi’s hands. Under the stains of blood and in between strands of her hair, she noticed something.

The Alpha took her dagger, examined it, and to her surprise, handed it back. Suya in one arm, he offered his free hand to the older breeder.

“I won’t scold you for kneeling this time,” he murmured and pulled her up. “You have no fear of retribution. A clean kill. You should be proud.” Two approaching omegas were asked to dispose of the body. A blanket was placed over her shoulders and Misha was sent for. In shock and her heat pressing back, it took her a few moments to gather her thoughts.

The Moon turned.

“Wait!” she shouted out, stopping in her tracks. “His hands!”

 

 Eloi’s hands bore silver marks. She had seen that silver before.

“He’s tampered with the landing site!”

In spite of everything, she fled to the portal. 

Things were very, very wrong.


	51. Bays

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Near the site, a figure in the forest appears.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chase scene with the description of dogs hunting. 
> 
> ahhh! so much in this chapter. thank you for your patience. <3
> 
> comments are greatly appreciated. :D

Time quivered.

 

Sacred stars in the sky slipped from sight.

Daybreak split open, chasing away the last traces of darkness, stealing their cloak. The light revealed their close proximity to the landing site and meteor. How close and yet how hopelessly far—they couldn’t possibly outrun the swarm of gliders above and behind them.

Each of their gliders had crashed.

To Jared, it felt like the dive into the lake. The event was simultaneously fleeting and drawn out with smoke all around them and the glider malfunctioning, beeping and spinning as it was forced to land.

Both cats on the gliders grabbed at the chest of their partner and heaved them close. Fired up, invigorated by the fall, the beta and omega knew to leap. Using their powerful hind legs they pounced from the gliders in the half second before they were wrecked. Their strength and reflexes could not prevent them all from tumbling—the world around them spun in blazing circles—and amidst the wreckage Teo cried out in distress.

Shot in the leg, the omega shifted to his human form, gripping onto the bleeding wound.

The guards in the air were shooting with the blue bolts of light and bullets. Jensen stumbled over to Teo and dropped onto his knees, desperately trying to assess the injury, ripping his shirt and tying it around the wound just as Gannon had done for Jared. Both the beta and Jensen helped Teo up; they carried him by the shoulders as Jared led in front. No one was completely free from injury or fatigue but they had to keep moving. Frantically, their party careened towards the meteor and the cover of the trees. They were too exposed out in the open; only the smoke from the gliders assisted in masking their precise location on foot. The smoke could not hold out forever.

“Five minutes,” Jensen called out. Jared looked back for a split second. His slippers pounded against the grass, lifting him up, driving him forward despite the burning and twisting sensation in his lungs followed closely by the radiating heat in his arm.

A violet pill of light was pulled out from Jensen’s pack and thrown ahead of them. The size of a lemon, Jared saw it glow to the point where its color drained and it became nothing but blinding whiteness. Jensen shouted a command to cover their eyes. The pill set off a series of blinding white waves. One by one the swarm disintegrated. Five minutes. That was all the effects of the pill would last and there were more gliders in the distance on their way.

Sloping valleys were blurred as they pressed on.

Charging forward, Jared’s chest felt raw.

“I hear something!” Gannon hollered. “Down!”

Time pulsated.

The ground beneath them swelled and snapped. A fault line manifested and forced them apart, the earth shaking and rumbling from an unseen source. Jared was the first affected; they were all toppled, knocked down. The quaking of the earth divided their party and Jared could hear Jensen scream his name. It was at least half a minute before Jared clawed at the grass and hefted himself up. Teo lay some feet away from him, breathing hard and gone pale. Jared had seen one breeder die this way. They had been stabbed for stealing an apple from a market stall and left in the middle of the square, bleeding to death until their heart seized.

“Run!” the omega snapped, shoving Jared’s hands away.

Jared wanted to respond but the splintering sensation in his chest prevented it. Instead, he ducked down and slung Teo’s arm over his shoulder. He pried them both off the ground, grunting with effort, and immediately started in the direction of the meteor. Teo trembled and gripped onto Jared, trying his best to match Jared’s movements. Gannon was the first to see them; he shouted for Jensen. Reunited, Gannon and Jensen were in the lead, Jared and Teo not far behind.  

All around them the sun lifter higher, lighting up the valleys and hunting them, trying to smoke them out.

Closer now…

Don’t look back.

Just a few feet more.

As they neared the forest exhaustion and pain set in the marrow of Jared’s bones. His breathing was ragged when he saw a figure in the forest. It seemed to run along with them instead of at them. Step by step the figure came into focus. Faster, faster—beads of sweat fell—must move faster.

The rush of blood in Jared’s ears throbbed. The pull of _their_ Moon punctured his senses.

Cody.

In his arms was a bundle pressed to the breeder’s chest. Both breeders’ movements mimicked the other’s. For every step Jared took, Cody took the same one. Whipping through the forest, the older breeder’s robes billowed behind him.

Dark red.

That bundle was Charlie.

 

Dogs.

A pack was released, their howls and the snaps of their jaws hungry for blood and flesh.

Jensen and Gannon made it to the site. They sprinted past the runes and began to set up their departure. Just a few feet more. Don’t look back. Closer now…

Jared’s eyes were half on the site and half on the figure in the forest. He wanted to shout out to the other breeder. A pack of government dogs were behind Cody and Jared could hear both packs snarl as they closed the distance.

Four more steps.

Three more steps.

Two.

 _Smack_.

 

The breeder and omega bashed against the protective shell of the runes, unable to break through. Reeling backwards for a second, Jared shoved himself forward and battered his fists against the barrier. Teo heaved at it with his shoulders. The dogs neared.

Locked out.

Jensen’s eyes went wide. Jared made desperate eye contact. Both Jensen and Gannon rushed to edges of the runes. Their mouths moved and Jared knew they were both shouting but the shell kept all sound inside. Precious little distance remained between them and the dogs, with gliders nearly at their site. The sound of the dogs was more horrific than Jared could have imagined. Their barking pierced his ears, deafened him from all other sounds around him. Bloodhounds. The bays and snarls thundered. As the dogs neared their barking became less synchronized. Each bark was eager for a tear through their muscle, a bite of their tender bellies. Jared and Teo pressed against the barrier.

Looking up from his attempts at drawing more runes, Jensen’s face was red and tears streamed down. His hands shook. Their eyes met once more.

No hallucinations. No dreams.

The barrier would not be lifted in time. The lead dog was two leaps away from Jared.

 

Nowhere to run.

Nowhere to run.

Nowhere to run.


	52. East

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The dogs hunt a breeder.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> warnings for this chapter include: graphic violence, graphic death, blood, gore, mentions of non-con, mentions of mass-graves. 
> 
> proceed with caution.
> 
> this is a packed chapter. i've tried my best to make it as clear as possible what happens but i fear i'll have to come back and edit this for clarity anyway. if you have questions, please ask! i can answer them in comments more than i can answer them here. <3 you basically have the events of two worlds arm wrestling with each other and there are a lot of time bleeds here. 
> 
> we have about five small chapters left. brace yourselves. :O 
> 
> thank you for reading! <3

Jared turned around.

He would not have his back to the dogs for the inevitable end. Determined, Jared faced death and all its shrapnel teeth. With his dagger in one hand and holding Teo’s hand in the other, he braced himself and stood tall. A pack of twelve white dogs hurtled towards them, their snouts aimed directly at their victims’ throats. It would not be possible to outrun them and it would not be wise to try. Here it would happen, in this spot, where they had come so close to succeeding. Gliders above them hovered and shone brilliant search lights to ensure the dogs met their targets.

Time did not slow and it did not accelerate.

It remained still on its same constant and ancient course. Jared took in a deep breath and opened his mouth to scream. The first dog was jumping; its jaw hung open and its eyes were red. Jared could feel the puff of its breath and he heard the rest of the pack panting in frenzy.

The air swelled.

Corporeal--in physical form--Cody and Charlie broke free from the forest. The older breeder placed his body in between the white dogs and their victims. Time and the Moon fought with each other, causing the world to dip and tilt on its axis. Jared let out a wail of rage and sorrow. The breeders’ eyes met. This was what had happened the night Cody tried to escape and it was happening once more. Holding the crying child above his head, Cody’s body was torn apart limb by limb by the white dogs as it had been by black government dogs. The howling of the pack and Cody’s shrieks of agony hemorrhaged through the forest. His belly ripped open and the hounds gnawing into it, Cody spurted blood from his mouth and his hold on Charlie faltered. Charlie’s shoe was already off—the older breeder had managed to hide his chip in it before the dogs had descended.

A violent shriek of grief burst through the breeder’s chest and echoed into darkness.

 

The space witch turned her attention to this world.

Curious.

So much delicious, tantalizing suffering.

 

The dogs bit into Cody’s throat, releasing a spray of blood, severing his vocal chords. Still, Cody remained upright, Nicky’s child held out, the dogs snapping and jumping to reach it.

More than a breeder.

More than a hole to fuck.

More than a body to use.

More than a pair of hands in the garden, in the kitchen, dragging large buckets of water from the well, toppling over from the heat and the effort and the lashes of a whip.

More than an object, more than the  figure in the corner eating scraps of fat and grease carved from the sumptuous pieces of meat on the table, more than the vessel from which life was forced into and out of in bloody, filthy conditions, more than the age deemed no longer capable of carrying life. More than the dried out bodies hanging in farm stalls, drained until blood replaced milk.

More than the long, endless lines of breeders chained to each other, led barefoot through the gnarly forests outside each major town and city. More than the pair of tear filled eyes or begging mouths or desperate hands trying to break free from the line. More than the final witnesses of the pits before them that raged on and on with the leftover, decomposing, severed limbs and heads of the breeders in line before them less than an hour prior. More than the courtesy of a gun shot.

More than the history of deaths like this one: hunted and brought down by a pack of hounds.

 

Cody died.

The pack forced him down.

Before he fell, Charlie was pushed.

Pushed into the outstretched arms of a time traveler that had wandered into a world by what he assumed was an accident.

It was like slipping into another room.

Old Jared caught the child from his place above, a rip in time and space, and disappeared instantly, without a word.

 

 

Pieces of what was happening were cleared away like the figures on a chess board. The dogs and Cody’s body, which had somehow physically manifested itself here, vanished. Every glider above them was swept away. That left only the meteor and their landing site.

The omega looked at the breeder.

They both looked into the barrier.

Jensen and Gannon were gone.

Looking back to the forest, the scenery was transformed.

The entire world changed.

 

They were someplace new and Jared knew—he felt the truth in his chest—exactly where he was.

The ground was littered with bones. Some of them were charred and others were pristine pearl white. For miles all around them this was the land, with only a few sloping hills made up of more skeletal fragments.

Directly to their right was a large knotted tree decorated with silver runes.

From its center, dripping blood, dressed in gold robes, their middle pierced by a great trap, Gannon’s beloved hung. Her mouth and eyes were wide open in surprise. Teo shuddered; Jared remained still. They both watched as her stiff right arm moved.

She pointed east.

This was the bridge from the world where breeders existed to the world where omegas thrived.

Teo drew the runes the Alpha had shown them—the tracking runes—onto Jared’s hand. Jared tore his eyes away from Gannon’s breeder. For how long would she hang there?

Bones on the ground rattled, clicking together, disturbed by a heavy thrumming in the distance.

 

“Don’t stop running,” the omega commanded, his form flickering. “Whatever happens—don’t look behind, don’t stop, never forget what you are capable of--you are more than.”

 

A thousand times.

No one’s gonna fool around with us.

Beware of the dark.

 

Government officials crested and rose above a hill a mile away.

Together, Teo and Jared fled east, towards the dark red Moon.


	53. X

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a few things here. 
> 
> there's a line pretty much directly copied from a later chapter in It Takes. see if you can spot it and the big difference in it. 
> 
> jared never actually sang that song; he'd given the lyrics to jensen to be played at his funeral. at the time jensen thought it was a paranoid thing to do: kind of like a last will and testament. only the chords were played at jared's funeral. j2 are the only ones who know the lyrics.
> 
> the song is again credit to Sean McConnell. here's a link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7AYxrc423tU
> 
> to give you an addition image of the wail jensen makes, you can watch this scene from the movie 300. it's graphic (it's the scene where astinos is beheaded) but accurate: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dHfsr2NhfzI
> 
> this scene, while short, took a long time for me to write. it hit me pretty hard. the lyrics from this song always do. the song is supposed to be god talking to mankind in general, but it works for anyone you have lost that's near to you. you realize that they're singing you the song--telling you one day you'll see them again.
> 
> and that just... gets me every time. because in a way, by listening to the song, you are listening to them.
> 
> and isn't it heartbreaking, to think that people we've lost might be out there, watching us suffer through grief, unable to alleviate it.
> 
> i cried thinking about jensen thinking that way. ;-; 
> 
> few chapters left here. thank you for reading and sticking with me.

Jensen: 

 

Visceral.

That was his grief.

Cold and crystalline.

 

It couldn’t be.

It could _not_ be.

 

Prematurely pulled, landing was like slipping into another room.

In the red soil of Lake Claiborne, he dug until his fingers bled.

 

Why not him instead?

 

Bereft and eviscerated, Jensen knelt, arms limp.

A sigh from the universe slithered into his chest.

Those hadn’t been lyrics for a funeral. Those had been lyrics for Jensen’s destined loss.

It wasn't God. It wasn't the stars. It wasn't some unseen force speaking to humanity on earth.

It was Jared speaking to him across time.

 

“I see you down there every day, trying to find a different way to build some kind of ladder to the sky. Trying to find some way to see the secrets of eternity.”

Don’t do this, Jared.

“Well how do you think it feels to hear you screaming out my name?”

Please.

“I see you when you cry yourself to sleep. It’s tearing me apart.”

“Master?”

“I know you wish you could see me but that’s the way it has to be. Someday you will understand. Don’t lose your faith in me.”

Those guitars had always been kept tuned.

“I know you wish you could hear me, sometimes it’s so hard to do.”

“Oh,” Jared breathed, pulling Jensen close. They were pressed together, tangled up as much as they could be, sticky and warm. “I think I…” Jared murmured, the lights in the room dimming as he fought to stay awake. “I think I love you.”

 

The portal was closed.

Neither Jeff nor Misha could reopen it. It was locked from their end; nothing and no one would be breaking through. Jeff was inconsolable.

Distantly, Jensen heard the beta’s sobs and the Alpha’s demands for information.

Someone announced the news.

Jared and Teo were gone.

 

A tendril of sunlight shone over a circular shape on the ground near Jensen’s left hand.

“I cannot count on all the signs you’ve passed away as mere coincidence and I’m running out of ways to break through. Like a lonely lover waiting by the ocean, I’ll never give up on you.”

Blazing, the sun finished rising.

“Every morning sunrise says, ‘I’m madly in love with you. Yes, I’m madly in love with you.’”

“I’m scared.”

“I know you wish you could see me, that’s the way it has to be.”

Jared had known everything.

 

And he had still gotten into that car.

 

Mouth caved inwards, jaw hung open, the features on Jensen's face contorted with despair. The death wail extracted from his lungs would haunt those who witnessed it. No one dared touch him.

 

 

Jared’s ring.

The Captain fell.


	54. Bite

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Moon is linked to a new member of their party.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tiny, tiny chapter but a longer one on the way! Remember that only two kinds of people linked to the Moon: weres and breeders.
> 
> :O

Jensen:

 

The Alpha made a decision.

Jensen could feel the Moon.


	55. Angeles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The lyrics are decoded and truths are revealed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhhh!!!!!
> 
> What what what! :D
> 
> Still so many things to answer but yay! The first hurtle is done. /happy flail/
> 
> Songs are still credit to "Looking at Me" by the Trishas and "Angeles" by Steve Carlson. 
> 
> Tell me what you think!

On the run, Jared felt muscles he had never used before stretch and flex. He felt his scars—those underneath his skin—coalesce and work together. The slippers on his feet flew over the bones and scattered remains of breeders underneath him. Fractured skulls, broken femurs, remnants of breeders who had once lived and breathed were the floor beneath them. How long had their skeletons been tossed aside in this forest?

How close had Jared come to joining their lot?

Jared closed his eyes for a moment and opened them to see his trousers replaced with a robe. The vest that held the Aorta remained and he could feel it thrum against his chest, fluttering like a second heart beat. Beside him, Teo kept up, not questioning the change.

The scenery behind them unraveled.

Black, knotted trees sprouted from mounds of cartilage and marrow. Group by group, the officials were knocked aside, held back. Boots smashing the bodies underneath them caused the ground to convulse. Glancing back, Jared gasped. He witnessed ivory frames reassemble. Fractured, vengeful hands formed from the bones and propelled themselves at the necks of the nearest official. Spindly and sharp, each anatomical wonder pierced the protective black masks through their throats and chins. Jared let out a cry, pushing himself forward, begging his people for forgiveness. Crest after crest of hands formed, strangling and stabbing their victims, until they created an outbreak—a surge.

Breeders were fighting back.

 

Ahead of them was another forest. That was miles in the distance.

Even without a map Jared knew exactly where he was running to. If only they could reach their destination. Across the skyline, dark red hues overtook gray, capturing and smothering it until the sky was nothing but a stretch of maroon. Aberrant, Jared changed their direction, darting to the left. The omega was able to change course but he shouted out for Jared. The landscape was changing; mounds of bones swelled to become hills. Navigating the inclines was nearly impossible. Jared could not find footing. Teo took the lead and pulled Jared more than once from falling and tumbling down to the bottom of a hill.

Sweating and panting with exertion, their small party churned forward.

As the forest grew near, Jared desperately forced every muscle in his body to work harder. This was more than a group of officials. Although the breeders were successful in destroying many, they could not hold back the entire storm. Thousands. The officials numbered thousands.

Swept up by a spontaneous hill, Jared flew forwards in the air. His robes were recognizable now.

It was his chore to tend to the gardens.

Landing on the top of another hill, the young breeder figured out the formula.

Wind snapped around them. Their speed increased. Trusting the ground under them, Jared allowed hills to form, no longer fearing that they would slow down their trajectory. Faster, faster, their dash grew frantic.

Just as another hill soared forth, Jared looked over and met Teo’s eyes.

The omega’s expression was one of pain and panic. He reached out for Jared.

And then he was gone.

 

An avalanche of officials broke free from the first line of hands.

Their boots created a cacophony as they crushed the remnants of breeders beneath them.

Closer to Jared than ever, they raised their electric sticks, confident and sure in his capture.

What they did not expect was a cataclysmic rupture in time and space.

A boom.

A white light.

The Sovereign Queen.

 

Corpulent and bloated, awesomely massive in size, the space witch slit the throat of this world.

Crowing her dominance and exuberant in her power, her masses of flesh and fat spilled out, crushing any and all beneath her. In the center of the officials she pulsed.

White, with the shape like that of a lobster, her abdomen gorged, showing every azure artery and vein beneath her filmy skin. Hundreds of talons extended from her sides; snatching up officials by their necks and dislocating their heads and spinal cords. She was taller than any building the young breeder had seen. Unlike the one time he had seen her—as he followed Jensen—at this moment she had no face. The sounds she made, great croaks and shrieks and howls, came from elsewhere.

With one movement of her bulging form, she turned to Jared, who had frozen still.

The absence of eyes did not mean she could not see him.

Discordant and harsh to his ears, she bellowed out a sound.

Jared covered his ears. He was wearing trousers again.

The Moon turned full.

His belly was quartered.

 

Old Jared had a lighter voice than Jensen. And not quite so steady, but still pleasant to hear.

The strum of his guitar, however, was just as expertly played as Jensen’s hands. Familiar with the chords, the music poured out like honey and milk.

“Sometimes your touch is so soft I can’t feel it. Sometimes your voice is all that I could need. Sometimes your eyes, they could pierce through the darkness, when you think I don’t see you looking at me.”

_Sometimes Jensen got so distant from me, I barely knew he was there. Sometimes his voice was all that kept me going. Someday he would look for me._

_I’ve been looking for him._

“Oh, it’s a shame, it’s a shame. The last one to know is the first to complain. Oh, beware of the dark, for all of your secrets are shared with a spark.”

_I wanted anything but this. I wanted to tell you and Jensen. It wasn’t an accident, the way we met. I had been in that bar before. And everything that would happen to us—I already knew. She already knew. Time is a loop. You are one of many circular patterns. You’re the only one that survived._

“You’re warm to the touch, but you’re bitter as sin. I think these late nights are doing you in. No matter the song it’s the blues that you sing and sometimes I wish they were all about me.”

_Jensen is bitter as fuck and twice as stubborn. He isn’t perfect. Every song he sang, no matter how sad, I wished it was all about me. I wanted them all to be for me._

“You can’t laugh long enough, you can’t live hard enough, you can’t hold me that tight…”

 _Jensen should have given up and kept going. We_ will _die one day. And nothing will bring either of us back._

“Sometimes your touch is so soft I can’t feel it. Sometimes your voice is all that I could need. Sometimes your eyes… when you think I don’t see you looking at me. When you think I don’t know you’re looking at me. You don’t know I see you looking at me.”  

Holding the guitar—that peculiar instrument—old Jared stepped out from the tree line.

The space witch laughed.

“Someone’s always coming around here, trailing some new kill. What’s a game of change to you, here is one of real skill.” Jared knows those lyrics.

Old Jared walked forward.

Jared took one pace back.

“Go on and lose the gamble that’s the history of the trade. Did you add up all the cards left to play, to zero…”

Jared’s belly bled.

“And sign up with evil, Angeles? Don’t start me trying now. Cause I’m all over it, Angeles. I can make you satisfied in everything you do. All your secret wishes could right now be coming true. Spend forever with my poison arms around you.”

The guitar was set down. Old Jared extended a hand out, smiling friendly, dressed in the same way Jared is now. He was even wearing slippers.

“No one’s gonna fool around with us. No one’s gonna fool around with us. So glad to meet you, Angeles.”

They’ve had it wrong this entire time. Old Jared knew what would happen to him because he fixed it so. He made the first deal.

His life for Jared’s.

_I signed up with evil._

_I see you, Jen. Every version of me loves every version of you._

_It was me or him._

_And no one foresaw the help of ghosts, the connection of the Moon, the resilience of this one…_

_I’m so proud of both of you._

Every song old Jared penned, he had found inside Jensen’s heart and sung it back to him.

Jared breathed in deep. Nothing behind him mattered. Everything in front of him did.

With one advancing movement, Jared took old Jared’s hand, never breaking eye contact. What had he seen? What had he been through? How fiercely had he loved Jensen? All his secret wishes…

“No one’s gonna fool around with us,” Jared breathed out, their hands grasping together. Deep in the forest a fire started. Pain could not be felt. No wind or sound passed by.

As the Alpha had taught him, there were no gaps on Jared’s left.

He raised his left arm confidently and brought it down with all the force of his grief—of their grief.

 

 _Thank you_.

Jared severed the connection between the two worlds.

He thrust the concealed dagger into the heart of old Jared.


	56. Phoenix

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The space witch watches the end of her game.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> eeeeee! another exciting chapter for me to write. i've had this in my head since i started It Takes and i'm so happy to finally write it. 
> 
> the song lyrics here are from Vienna Teng's "Gravity"-a beautiful song with a ton of emotion. here's a link to it if you'd like to listen along while the lyrics list in the fic: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X8nypWKa_aU
> 
> i'm intrigued by how the last portion of this fic has turned into a sort of epic poem, with shorter lines and such. just an interesting note. i guess this all has been an epic story. 
> 
> there's more to wrap up in about three more chapters and then that's it for Your Law. but because it's been requested and because i can't let this verse go, i'll be doing a small third part. <3
> 
> onward!

The space witch never cared for humanity.

Her power was separate from them. There was no dependence on acolytes or followers or sacrifices to escalate her strength. She would live long after a multitude of races and species rose and fell. Life would never be sprung from her; she was born from the universe and one day, like a star, she would cease to function. But a space witch never truly died. They lived on in the myriad of worlds they oversaw.

Space was gargantuan.

Only one individual had seen a fraction of what the space witch knew and even she and her sculptures fell before her—an empress of eternal voids no human would ever bear witness to.

Every section of the universe had a space witch.

Old Jared had traveled extensively. He always had wanderlust.

What could possibly have called him from the edges of the solar system to a cheap bar where a defeated man was slowly drinking himself into darkness? What about the flickering, dark red motel sign? Why choose that path? Or this one? How many lifetimes had old Jared gone through, how many versions of himself had he rejected until he chose this one?

One that started with a breeder.

What else had old Jared seen revealed to him in the Aorta?

 

Jared stumbled forward.

Old Jared’s body was gone. Put to rest.

The space witch would no longer hold back the officials; although she remained present. She stayed because she wanted to see—how would Jared finish this? But didn’t she already know? Unless there was something she could not see; something that would disrupt the original axis.

Towering, she lugged her form out of the way from the line of officials. Her veins throbbed.

The trample of boots behind him matched the beat of Jared’s heart. All their electric weapons had been taken away; still, they ran towards Jared with outstretched hands. Desperate. Frenzied. Violent. Heinously, one by one, officials broke free of the witch’s hold and poured towards the young breeder standing by the tree line, creating a river of black. Jared turned away. The sky was still dark red and the Moon was still full. There had to be something there he could not see. Signs were everywhere.

One hand pressed onto his wounded belly, Jared began to run. As he bolted, he felt the lyrics of something new bloom within his heart. Rushing past trees, deeper into the forest, losing sight of the Moon, he understood the bridge and this place.

_Hey love, is that the name you’re meant to have, for me to call?_

_Look love, they’ve given up believing._

_They’ve turned aside our stories of the gentle fall. But don’t you believe them._

_Don’t you drink their poison too._

_These are the scars that words have carved on me._

_Don’t turn away now. I am turning in revolution._

_These are the scars that silence carved on me._

_This is the same place, no not the same place._

_This is the same place, love._

_No not the same place we’ve been before._

No matter how much time would pass, Jared would never be free of his past—in this form or his other. Breeders would thrive. They would continue. He would always, in some way, be a breeder. Jared began to feel pain. Hunched over, his hand soaked with his own blood, he felt the runes burn into his flesh, creating a permanent mark.

Breeders would become omegas. The last breeders would be the first breeder-omega hybrids: Nicky and himself. The very last Master would be the first beta. He hadn’t died after all. There was no bullet; only the sentence of forever remembering the past. Omegas would be sacred. Omegas would be cared for and valued and respected for their potential. It was the First Breeder’s ultimate wish—to one day see breeders overturn the Masters that had betrayed them.

Forced to give birth in a cellar.

Forced to die by the teeth of dogs.

Forced to lie down and long for the release of death.

The forest tapered off into a clearing. Jared lost his footing. He let out a wail. Blood gushed out of him as he tried… he tried to get up. His world tilted.

_Hey love. I am a constant satellite of your blazing sun._

_My love, I obey your law of gravity._

_This is the fate you’ve carved on me._

_Your law of gravity._

_This is the fate you’ve carved on me._

Officials were approaching the clearing; snapping branches and twigs like they would soon do to Jared’s bones. Jared convulsed. His skin turned cold and clammy. Gasping, he could not ignore the agony from within his belly. Gone pale, Jared could still remember the cellar.

Soul mates.

Where Jared went, Jensen would follow.

And where Jensen went, Jared must follow.

The young breeder pulled himself up and began to crawl. Through dirt and blood he continued. A last convolution of strength pushed him to his feet once more, where his slippers steadied him.

Surrounding Jared, the officials formed a half circle. Their bodies quivered and rippled; their limbs began to move erratically, as if not fully attached. Jared’s shadow appeared. The Aorta against his heart hummed and produced sweltering heat. The runes on his arms, hands, and back—even where he had been shot in the shoulder—all began to glow bright blue.

An official reached Jared.

Their fist slammed into Jared’s belly. Swarms of them surrounded him, smothering, blanketing him in an undulating mass of black. Jared screamed. He stared directly into one mask and let out a death cry, trembling and furious, the sound of it erupting from Jared’s lungs. Jared’s eyes glowed blue, rimmed with red. Gloved hands were all over him. Enveloped and overwhelmed by the rush, Jared could only keep one hand up, kicking and battering with what was left of him.

The swarm took him down. Officials began to pummel each other in a mania to destroy the breeder.

One jerking and twitching body held Jared down.

He had failed.

This was what she had wanted. She wanted him— _them_ —to fail.

The conquering official held their fist above Jared’s head. One blow and Jared might die. One blow and he might be dragged back. Jared’s heart pounded. He could hear them chant. He could feel all of them press closer and closer until Jared could no longer see the sky. Their masks, their terrible gloves, shrouded over him, forming a canopy.

The crowd erupted into hysteria.

Jared took his last breath.

 

 

From a rip in time and space, a sword sliced through.

Thunderous and agile, it cut through the bodies nearest Jared, rancid blood spraying through their uniforms.

It was a sword wielded by a powerful hand.

The Alpha.

The Moon was full.


	57. Leapt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A goodbye is made.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eeeeeek! i cried. ;-; 
> 
> italics are the Alpha. 
> 
> i wish this was a movie because i can't fit in descriptions of how everything looks like i could if it were on screen. >_

I’m dead.

_No. You’re not._

Yes I am. I can feel it.

 _You are_ not _dead. Find it._

Find what? No… just let me…

_Find the song, Jared. Find it and sing it back._

I can’t. It’s not here anymore. Maybe it never was.

_Jared… this is not the time to hesitate. You know where it is._

I’m sorry. I don’t. I don’t know it. It was never me. It was old Jared.

_Old Jared died! Now stop this ridiculous shit and sing it back, god dammit!_

Why? Why don’t you let me go? All of you. Just let me go.

_You’re not giving up. I won’t let you give up._

Why? Why not? Why can’t I rest?

_Because your scent changed!_

 

Every wound that had ever existed on Jared's skin--whether or not it had been healed over by the MedLight--glowed a brilliant, bright blue. It was a blue clearer than any sky Jared had seen. From head to toe he was covered in light. Places where old Master had stripped pieces of his skin, places where a whip had buried its lick, places where Jared had been kicked, burned, and beaten. They all blazed.

Blazed.

Jared knew that word.

 

 

So don’t turn away now.

I am turning in revolution.

These are the scars that silence carved on me.

 

 _Yes_.

 _Louder_.

 

Hey love, I am a constant satellite on your blazing sun.

My love, I obey your law of gravity.

This is the fate you’ve carved on me.

Your law of gravity.

 

 

Lifted up. Revived. Jared was suspended mid-air, turning and twisting.

Black gloved hands reached for him.

The Alpha swung down and with him he brought his sword.

It was the Alpha’s shadow that flickered this time.

 

A voltaic snap of raw, undiluted, uninhibited energy pulsated.

Jared’s slippers touched the ground once more. He stood beside the Alpha.

All around them was a circle of decimation. Every official within five feet of them had been incinerated. Those that remained shrieked and screeched, repulsive in their movements. They raised their arms and dank, rancid yellow phlegm spurted out from under their hoods and masks. Chunks of this fetid pus gushed out, curdling as it hit the ground, making a noise like a sac of membranes.

In the distance, the space witch disregarded them.

Wholly synchronized, both the Alpha and Jared turned away from the officials and towards what had previously been a clearing. With a gasp, Jared saw that it was now yet another forest. Up ahead something moved in between the trees, its movements unnatural and bent. The forest was sinister and Jared could smell the trees rotting from the inside out. Despite this, when the Alpha advanced, Jared followed. He followed until he was running faster, charging forward, the trees and foliage liquefying instantly as they skimmed passed.

Dodging branches and stumps and boulders, hurrying and pushing every fiber in their lungs, they eluded those that chased them.

The same place. No. No, not the same place.

Jared veered to the right. There. Over there. Without hesitation or doubt, the Alpha trailed him.

They passed over the grave.

“Jump!” the Alpha bellowed. “Here, jump now!”

 

Into a murky maw of shadows, Jared leapt.

Goodbye doll.


	58. Buried

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Returning means permanence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> omg closer to the end! :D
> 
> i hope this is a good chapter, please let me know. it might be a while until the next chapter but we'll see. 
> 
> thank you for reading! <3

They landed on their backs.

At the edge of Lake Claiborne, on the southern side, the portal reopened. Runes that had been placed down shone the same color blue as had on Jared a world away. In the center of a protective circle, both the Alpha and Jared slammed down. Winded but conscious, Jared’s eyes opened wide and he let out a scream.

An open portal.

The officials poured forth.

In a swell, a massive surge, covered in sickly yellow secretions, officials forced their way through by the hundreds. A flock of gloved hands extended, fingers and limbs mangled and fractured, twisting backwards, curving into outward angles. All hands pointed to Jared’s belly.

This time the runes worked. They kept the officials out. Bashing against the invisible barricade officials let out a howling, piercing screech. They sacrificed their limbs, no longer armed, pummeling the barrier and creating sounds like insects being crushed underfoot. The Alpha sat up and rolled over onto Jared, straddling him, covering his ears. Their eyes met once. Jared braced himself with his hands on the Alpha’s wrists.

“Now!”

A blast of red.

The dome of the barrier erupted in fire. It decimated the first line of clawing, tearing officials. Once the Alpha could see the results he touched the side of Jared’s face for a second that seemed more like a minute. It was time. The Aorta must be planted and the portal must be permanently sealed. Without the Aorta the officials would continue to push through and the Pride would be overrun. History would repeat itself over and over again in a loop that would cause nothing but suffering and oppression. An omega would revert back into a breeder and their beloved betas would become their Masters once more.

Here was where it must all end.

 

“You’ll take care of her and yourself for me, little one?”

Moving aside and helping Jared up, the Alpha watched him carefully.

Jared gripped onto the Aorta, which radiated red to match the flames outside. There was so much he wanted so say, so many things he wanted to remember in this moment. Yes, he would take care of her and himself. And all the others that would hopefully follow.

In the warm, fine sand of Lake Claiborne the marbles and tube in its entirety were delicately placed.

A crack in the barrier startled both of them. The weight of the hundreds bombarding against it was too great. Jared placed his hand above the Aorta’s resting place and prayed for it to work. It must be the key. It must end the loop. He brought it here through time and space—through lifetimes of grief and suffering. From his pallet to the kennels to a dirt road to a bed he could share and call his own, this was where the Aorta was meant to be. Others to worlds Jared would never witness hung in that one room, waiting for their own destinies. 

Master Eli’s voice in that moment had been so calm. 

From its place, the Aorta hummed. Its light spread out until the entire lakeside radiated dark red. Jared and the Alpha looked up, moving near each other. The Alpha was prepared to shift. Above them the barricade was splintering; the runes would not hold much longer. Jared shut his eyes. His heart stopped beating for a fraction of a second that caused him to gasp. Closing up. Closing off. Nothing and no one would ever be able to access this world. He nearly laughed. No one would fool around with them.

Ten seconds later and the rune gave way. Their protective seal disappeared and Jared was not afraid.

All he had were his fists and teeth—but he would show them. This was not their world.

One glance upwards and Jared’s hands flew to his mouth in awe.

From every direction a cat bounded into the air and crushed the neck of each official. Not one official touched or reached either Jared or the Alpha. Perfectly timed and executed, a great snapping of vertebrae echoed, followed by roars and the sounds of claws shredding through uniforms and masks. As the officials writhed in their final moments of existence, the ground began to rumble. Jared was pulled to his feet by the Alpha.

They watched the portal shut.

It closed on the hand of an official reaching out; its hand was level with Jared’s belly.

 

With a snap, the squirming, twitching hand fell off and the portal vanished. The sand ceased its glowing and a faint amount of smoke could be traced from the Aorta’s place. Members of the Pride who had not shifted moved forward in their human forms armed with spears and knives and saws. They were directed by a familiar beta, who met Jared’s eyes and nodded. Every carcass would be chopped up, torn to pieces, and carted away to be burned and buried.

Jared stood in the center of where the runes had been and he searched for more familiar faces.

As he opened his mouth to ask where his people were—where was his  _mate_ —Madison rushed towards them, yelling for the Alpha, who bristled and tensed up immediately.

“Alpha! There’s a child in the lake!”


	59. Pier

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> No one can find the child in the water.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so nice to sink back into this verse! :D 
> 
> lots more to explain--for now, enjoy this chapter. <3
> 
> thanks for reading!

The Alpha ordered every available beta into the lake.

Every attempt to find the child had to be made. Five betas were in the water already, swimming out from the shoreline and towards the turbulent walls of water. The closest person had been on watch at the pier.

Jared ran after the Alpha until the water reached his hips. Continuing further would put him at risk; he still did not know how to swim. The Alpha peered out and shouted commands from where they stood—orders were made for omegas to prepare boats and nets and life preservers. Ms. Deb could be heard in the distance, carrying out the orders her Alpha directed, asking omegas to split up. The burning bodies could not be left unattended; Gannon had two younger betas take his post. He ran up the pier and called out to the betas in the water.

“Stop searching over! Go under!”

If two breeders could be pulled under by those waves, a child stood no chance.

Anxiously, the Alpha paced. He looked over at Gannon and snapped at him—get in the water! He knew the lake the best, surely he would know where the child might be swept under; he had to know.

Orders followed, Gannon dove.

Looking back at the shoreline, Jared searched for familiar faces. He saw none. Had Jensen and the rest run out into the water and he hadn’t noticed in the chaos? Jared’s heart pounded. Nothing had changed here. The forest in the distance looked untouched, unharmed. There was the safe house, the trail to the fire pit, and the miles of sand surrounding what seemed to him an endless amount of water. How long had he been gone? How had he been found? How could a child get out that far?

He remembered his landing. The sound of his arm snapping was still clear to him. As were the sensations of waves battering and pushing him down, forcing him under, crushing him underneath their massive black folds. He could still feel himself seizing as he sank.

“Jared!”

A familiar voice.

Seeing her was like meeting her for the first time, all over again.

Dressed in trousers and a shirt as he was, Nicky stumbled towards him in the water, splashing and crashing into him. She embraced him fiercely. Her hands trembling, she cupped his face.

“Come about!” the Alpha shouted, pushing himself further into the water, until it reached his chest. “Betas!” It seemed as though the activity in the lake would drown out the Alpha’s voice. The sky was turning dark gray; it would rain soon. With a gasp, a beta nearest the shore cried out that nothing had been found—betas were still searching.

“Where…” Jared began to ask, his eyes darting from the lake and back to Nicky.

“Alpha!”

“Found…”

“We found…”

“…found him!”

Omegas launched a boat from the pier. One beta held the child while two surrounded them.

As they approached the pier, closer to the shoreline, Jared could see the beta holding the child, though his features were at first unrecognizable from the water. Misha held the child up and passed him over into the waiting arms of Ms. Deb. But that wasn’t what made Jared gasp. Even from his place on the shore he could see one detail about the child.

He was missing a shoe.

Nicky bolted.

She ran onto the pier and knelt at the edge of it as the boat neared. Her cries could be heard over the water and above the crackling fires behind them. The child’s chest was pumped. Jared tore through water and sand until his unsteady feet were on the pier and he was beside her.  

Pale, blue, and bruised, black water was coughed up.

Charlie.

The first person he saw, when his small eyes opened, was his mother.

Amidst the calls of betas and omegas shouting that the child had been saved, one word remained the loudest.

“Mama?”


	60. Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On a search to find Jensen, no one will give Jared answers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> not the end! explanations and such in the next chapter. i'm so bad at estimating chapters. ;w;
> 
> i cried at the end of this chapter. that song. augh. 
> 
> please tell me what you think! <3

At the center of the Pride, Jared managed to make his way to Misha. At once, he asked him where Jensen was; how had he not seen him in all this commotion? Had Jensen been somewhere else when the Alpha retrieved him?

“It’s not that,” Misha stated, after they embraced, his tone strained. “We are all… overjoyed that you have returned. You were gone an entire week after Teo arrived. He did not arrive until three days after the others. For some time we were not sure…” Gentle hands were placed on Jared’s shoulders. Misha’s blue eyes softened. “You have wounds that require attention, please, come into our residence.”

Jared hesitated. It was in his training to yield.

“No,” he blurted out and stepped away from Misha. Anxiety ate away at his chest. “Something has happened. Something no one will tell me, not even Nicky. It isn’t like any of you to withhold information from me after I’ve requested it.” His voice grew firmer. “I need to know where Jensen is—I am not asking.” He was fully prepared for his outburst to result in being turned away.

Instead, Misha shook his head. “He was in the lake with us. I don’t know where he is now.”

“I saw the betas run in and Jensen was not among them.”

“Not as you expected to see him. I… I cannot… we all agreed that it should be Jensen himself to tell you what happened.”

A portion of fish was passed into Misha’s hands by a beta. He gratefully accepted it. A mention was made that Jeff was with Nicky, taking care of Charlie. While Jared felt gratitude over the well-being of his brother and Teo, both whom he had not yet seen, every instinct he had urged him towards Jensen. What was wrong? What had happened in his absence? Why must there always be a million questions and very few answers… Jared searched Misha’s eyes and found no other hints. Although his strength was quickly dwindling, he refused Misha’s second offer for care and walked away.

The Alpha would have answers.

On the path towards the Alpha’s residence, Jared’s name was called out. He turned briefly to see who had called and what they wanted but did not stop. This caused confusion for the younger omega but Mioh began speaking regardless.

“I’m so glad… Hey, you’re walking the wrong way.”

“I need to speak with the Alpha.”

“Okay, but he’s not home. He’s still at the lake with Gannon. They’re makin’ sure… Jared, are you listening?”

“I need to see Jensen,” Jared blurted out, moving in the direction of the lake, more desperation and anxiety in his voice than he wanted to reveal. “This… this is not the reunion I was expecting. I thought…”

The two of them walked at a hurried pace, Mioh’s heels tapped on the paved path that extended to the pier, while Jared’s slippers remained silent as ever. Smoke could be seen in the horizon but it was tinted a dark red. Jared swallowed the bitterness in his mouth. Dark red. Signs had been everywhere. And now he knew what those signs were but he was no closer to understanding them as he had been before. Cody had always been alongside them. The government hadn’t counted on apparitions. Nor had they counted on a wronged time traveler making a deal with a space witch. Although his shadow was solid now, what other actions had he set in motion by piercing his original self with a deadly blade? The fatality of the original copy had to count for something.

On the sand, yards away from front of the burning pile of limbs, two cats were wrestling. The Alpha, in human form, watched on and shouted commands, calculating and assessing the fight and its participants. Behind them, Gannon stood watch with another beta, turning the bodies and fanning the flames. A look at Gannon’s eyes and Jared knew that this was easier work for him than the pits had ever been.

A few limbs continued to writhe. One body in particular stretched out of the base of the fire before it seized and curled up. Gannon stabbed it, through the throat, and pitched it into the center.

That might have been the merchant at the stall Jared used to buy fabric from. Or perhaps the auctioneer.

It was the Alpha’s voice that turned Jared’s thoughts back to matters at hand. “It’s funny,” the Alpha commented with a shake of his head. “Your mate is weak on their left and you are weak on your right. I suppose ‘funny’ isn’t the appropriate word, but it is amusing.”

They approached with respectful silence but Jared was not going to remain silent for very long.

One cat at least, Jared noticed, looked familiar. It was smaller and had dark brown fur with a smattering of spots on its underbelly. Their ears were rounder in their shape and their tail was longer than the cats from the Lake Claiborne Pride. The other cat had a tawny coat with darker spots over its shoulders. It was larger in size overall but lean. Still, its size was not an advantage. Teo took down the cat with a few simple movements and swipes of his paws. He pushed the cat into the sand with force and held his jaw over the challenger’s exposed throat.

“Easy,” the Alpha instructed and Teo’s tail swished. “Just a lesson for today.”

“Protect your throat,” Teo murmured, shifting back. He looked over at Jared and smiled. “Well, look who decided to grace us with his presence.”

“I… thank you,” Jared breathed out and bowed. “I feared for you.”

“And I for you. Good thing I placed those runes on you, yes?”

Quietly, Jared responded. “Yes. A very good thing.”

“You can both chit-chat over tea and cookies later,” the Alpha interjected, his arms crossed over his chest. “Jared, you should be resting. I thought I asked Misha to look after you.”

At this, Jared stood up straight. “Alpha, I will not rest until I receive a clear answer from you. Where is Jensen? Why have I not seen him in the time that I have returned?” Mioh walked over to the fires; he spoke to Gannon as Jared held conference with the Alpha and Teo. The strange cat lingered near but Jared paid him no mind.

Sharp eyes met Jared’s. “Where have you been looking and what have you been expecting to see?”

Teo stood beside Jared and examined his shoulder. “You’re bleeding and it looks infected.”

Bristling, Jared stepped forward towards the Alpha. “I came to you for answers I thought you were able to provide! No one will tell me… Why the secrecy? What information are you harboring?”

The day was ending. In his absence spring was giving way to summer; Jared could taste the oncoming humidity of the days that would follow. But none of this mattered. He had not returned to be without Jensen. Yes, he felt a fever. Yes, he felt sore, and what energy he had left was rapidly fading. There were many successes to celebrate and still so much to see the consequences of.

One eyebrow raised, the Alpha glanced over at Teo. “See how he speaks to me.”

With a knowing smile, Teo shrugged. “Like a true omega.”

“Well, before I am scolded once more,” the Alpha sighed and walked over to stand before Jared. “I am going to tell you and then you _will_ be turned over to Dustin and the rest for care. I smell sickness on you, amongst other things…” he sighed and motioned behind them, where the strange cat was rolling around in the sand, its tail flailing. “ _That_ is Jensen.”

“He can’t figure out how to shift back,” Teo added with a small laugh. “Hasn’t been able to since the Alpha turned him a week ago.”

“It is exceedingly simple… to those of us who are used to it. Perhaps your coaxing will make the difference. Teo, will you get a car? I don’t think Jared is going to be able to walk back.”

Aware they were being looked at, the cat froze. Its large paws made indents in the sand. 

Jared stumbled forward; the Alpha caught him just as he nearly fell.

Green eyes peered at him.

With care, the cat pawed forth, holding its head down as a sign of submission. It had stayed its distance out of caution and in its struggle to shift back, which remained unsuccessful. Its fur and patterns were a blend of old and new. It had larger paws and longer whiskers than other betas but a shorter tail and finer hair. It sat itself before Jared, throat bared, and Jared could see one more detail that he hadn’t connected before. The spots on the cat’s shoulders were freckles.

Jared took in a deep breath. The Alpha nudged him forward.

In the pristine sand, at the shoreline of a once more peaceful Lake Claiborne, Jared knelt. A rough tongue lapped at his cheek.

 

“My love,” Jared cried. He buried his face into soft, tawny fur and gave way to the ache in each chamber of his heart. “I obey your law of gravity.”

They were home.


	61. Done

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jared hears a voice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a super creepy chapter but here are your answers. more notes and clarifications at the end! Tw for graphic mentions of suicide.
> 
> pay attention to the one shift in tense towards the end. /shudders/ 
> 
> please ask your questions if you still have some after reading this chapter/my notes! i wanna know i got everything tied up that i wanted to in this fic. 
> 
> one more chapter... i think, unless i split it into two. we'll see how it plays out.
> 
> thank you!

Jared slept for three days.

With his eyes closed and body at rest, a voice spoke to him in whispers like tendrils of smoke.

Charlie’s fate had depended on his success. Old Jared pulled the little one from Cody’s hands, unknowing at the time where he was and who he was helping; Jared's return assured Charlie's landing. Beyond the consequences Jared already knew of if he failed, Charlie would have been lost to them completely.

Runes had located Jared but they weren’t enough to bring him back.

The space witch was not the only powerful entity in their solar system.

Years ago, the previous Alpha had recognized it. It was kept secret; best not to draw unwanted attention from corners of space darker and older than theirs. There were things out there—the previous Alpha had warned—that they could never comprehend. Ways of life that were horrendous opposites of theirs. Beings and creatures that looked nothing like them—or worse, looked everything like them and ate the skin and meat off each other’s bones. There were entire systems and societies built on the backs of others. Echoes of pain haunted the airwaves and frequencies through space and time that the old Alpha had been privy to. He could hear crying when the night sky was clear. He could hear the death wails of innocents stars and worlds away.

On the seventh day of Jared’s absence, the Alpha chose to disclose his secret to the Pride, the one the old Alpha had kept for years.

Ilia had the knowledge and power to draw the correct runes, locate Jared, force open the portal, and pull him back. He could rip open time and space—slash the belly of fate—and harvest what or who he needed to salvage. This was an ability given only to space witches…

And to one cat from a Northern Pride who left after their mate cut their belly open and dug around with their hand to scoop out the child inside.

As the Alpha stood in the center of the circle, surrounded by runes in a language only he understood, every vein, every artery in his body shone blue. Jared was difficult to find; he was well-hidden in the massive folds of cancerous rot the government had created and spread.

It didn’t help that Jared still had a bullet lodged in his shoulder.

To prevent criminals from time traveling to other worlds and escaping punishment, the government of Jensen’s people had started fashioning runes on their bullets. The runes were crafted to lock out its targets from fleeing. That was why, when their party had reached the landing site, Teo and Jared were not able to cross.

The voice quieted, as if it were afraid.

She had moved them from one world to another, bypassing the hold.

Her action canceled out the bullets. Teo was pulled by the Alpha using a spell. They tried replicating it with Jared but nothing worked. The Alpha turned Jensen. The officials were increasing in number by the minute and their muscles and skeletal frames were growing more solid. Closer and closer to finding the correct path into their world, the officials were confident in their numbers. It would not be long before the Pride was overrun and the loop continued. Masters would capture the omegas. They would build auction houses once more. Betas would be slaughtered--or worse, made to hold their mates down and force them to breed. The blood tests would begin. In just a few years the Pride would become a town and from there it would develop into a city. 

History would repeat itself. The Alpha could feel it. He decided on his course of action.

He found Jared.

He swung his sword in one hand and reached out for Jared with the other.

And before the Alpha knew it, the movement of his body was like slipping into another room. His shadow flickered. He felt a sharp intake of breath.

The cats that could be spared from cutting down officials were positioned outside the runes. They followed his command when he screamed, “Now!” and touched the protective runes in a particular pattern. The barrier set on fire and the shoreline lit up as Jared buried the Aorta.

Although the Alpha possessed the power, it was the Pride working together that ensured Jared’s safety after his landing. The barrier would not hold forever after the fire and when it gave way, each cat displayed bravery as they lunged for the remaining bodies.

Jensen had been one of those cats.

It felt so good—the crush of bone and muscle underneath his new jaw and teeth. It felt so good—the mash and tear of tissue. It felt so good—to toss aside his human self and allow the cat to take over completely.

The voice flickered in its frequency. Static. Or was it muffled?

Old Jared had made a deal in a dream where he met his beloved in a seedy bar outside a station.

In that dream, he followed Jensen outside to his car. Together, they got in. They were supposed to drive to a filthy motel; there was supposed to be a flickering, red motel sign.

Jensen took in a breath, about to say something.

And in the next instant, Jared was screaming.

From the left, another car hit them. Jensen’s neck snapped from the force of the impact. He slumped over the steering wheel as the car spun and glass shattered. The blare of the horn and the smile on Jensen’s still face would etch themselves into Jared’s mind. He was sixteen when he had that dream. He was sixteen when the dream would not end, when Jensen’s vacant eyes would not stop staring at him.

He was sixteen when the space witch entered Jensen’s body in that dream and reanimated him.

She lolled his head and twisted his features. Her strength and essence inflated Jensen to the point of distending him, bloating him up like a balloon.

Out of his mouth her voice snaked forth.

From her corner of the universe she had felt Jared’s grief.

“It’s a dream,” he cried. “A nightmare.”

“Reality,” she hissed and caused Jensen’s eyes to roll back. “This will happen. Unless…”

The voice went silent for a moment, as if it were being given directions.

Old Jared knew exactly what would happen to him. He traded one car crash for another.

And he discovered a piece to her plan when he found the Aorta room, where he had heard there were worlds beyond their reach kept secure. Years after his deal, he had to know—would it be worth it?

Every soul had versions of its original self.

Somewhere out there, the voice breathed, hundreds of versions of Jared had once existed. They faced their own choices, their own obstacles, and their own mortality. All were in some way tied to Jensen. But old Jared made sure—and the voice would not say how—that Jensen found the version that survived; the one version of himself that would endure its suffering.

In the Aorta, that was the first time old Jared met a young breeder whose chore was to tend to the gardens.

He saw everything in less than thirty seconds.

Placed back with its kind, the Aorta asserted to old Jared what he already knew.

It would all be worth it.

 

There was nothing that could be said for the space witch’s actions.

She was and always would be her own entity. She need not have reasons or causes or justifications. None of what she did or had done would ever require logic or sense. She would forever remain separate from those human notions and limitations.

But how fun the journey had been.

How pleasantly the pieces had fallen into place from unexpected players.

The Master who killed what he loved and loved what he killed. The breeder who sacrificed everything for a child that wasn’t even theirs. The Master who knew and loved too much, who died at the hands of his own rank.

The breeder that took care of Jared like he was one of her pups.

The brother that followed, unknowing, and chose to stay.

The friend who feared for the well-being of his companion after the death of his partner.

And…

The voice laughed. It unraveled and snapped.

The outlaw. The drunk. The fool. The ridiculous, cowardly, buffoon of a Captain who made black market trades with quick draws and sharp smiles. The ass that believed he could ever be worthy of being loved, of being wanted, of being needed—did he _really_ think that? Did he? It would end. It would all end. One day someone would stop loving him. One day…

One day he would be utterly, absolutely alone, Jared.

One day he _will_ slit his throat, Jared.

And you won’t be there to stop him.

Goodbye doll.

Goodbye Jared.

 

That was the last time Jared ever heard that voice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> basically... 
> 
> *old jared had a dream a year before he ever met jensen in person. the dream revealed that jensen was destined to die in that car crash. he made a deal--his life for jensen's. but the deal would end up meaning so much more. and even when he saw that jensen would make a deal in turn, he still carried forth. he knew it would work out--even if it meant more pain.
> 
> *charlie's rescue was a combination of old jared and jared's efforts. one without the other could not have made it happen alone.
> 
> *the alpha pulled jared back and was the one person able to do so. finding and landing at Lake Claiborne was no accident. 
> 
> *the voice represents a lot of things. it's jared's fears, it's jensen's insecurities and self-doubt, it's a lingering menace from the space witch. it's the terrible reminder that our deaths affect others in ways that don't bother or affect us when we pass on. death isn't terrible for the dead--it's awful for the living. 
> 
> any other questions, please ask! i have cleared my list of "things to answer" for this fic but i could be missing something and i want to get everything in. thank you!


	62. Fledglings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jensen changes in more ways than one, as does Jared.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> late for work! i'll add more notes later! :D

Jensen:

Voices lie.

That was all he had to say about that.

 

What was it here? The beginning of May.

A month in between spring and summer. It wouldn't get cold here, not like what they were used to, either of them. Peaches would be ready at the end of May. The gardens and fields would soon need help being picked; Jared has already asked Jensen if he could please participate.

Jensen reminded him gently that it was not Jared’s chore to tend to the gardens.

“I’d still like to do it,” Jared replied quietly, hazel eyes changing to blue, against the bright noon sky of an afternoon near the lake. They sat together on the pier, Jensen’s left arm around Jared’s waist and Jared’s right hand on his knee. Weak on the right, weak on the left. They could work on it together.

He had shifted back successfully in the minutes before Jared had woken up. Jensen quickly apologized for the mess of their home. Without hands he hadn’t been too kind to the careful order of things in their kitchen. His paws were still clumsy and he had scratched the icebox in an attempt to get at the fish he knew was inside. In Jared’s absence Nicky had tended to their residence and Jensen, up until he was turned. She had fed him. She had pulled him from bed and into a basin of warm water to be washed. When he no longer tried to take care of himself, her steady hands were on him, shaving his face, bathing and drying him. It felt strange for someone else to touch him that way—to have other hands force feed him and smooth out his hair. To have other lips kiss his forehead and for another body to lay down next to him, warm and alive, because everyone feared leaving him alone.

She treated him with the same kindness she had always given to Jared. There was no mention of the nights they passed together before and after he had been turned. How his sobs gave way to the silent swish of his tail. How she never held him too tight or told him to stop crying. How she provided comfort without words. Those were things between them.

The morning of the Alpha’s decision, Jeff and Misha dragged him from bed, hauled him up, and took him into the yellow room.

Teo had come back. The omega had crawled out from the original portal, fixed now since its tampering.

There was no reason, they insisted, that Jared couldn’t or wouldn’t do the same.

Being turned hurt. The Alpha did not hide that fact. They were losing in numbers. Jensen’s human form would never last half as long as a cat’s. Assistance from New Orleans would not arrive in time, despite the Alpha’s urgency in his pleas. It wasn’t their fault—the officials were getting closer to finding the exact path their party had taken and replicating it successfully. Every available beta had to be at the front; it was every omega’s decision whether or not they wanted to participate. Omegas with young children or carrying a litter were guarded in the safe house by Dustin and two other betas. In that house remained the Pride’s hope for a future. Cubs and children—all either betas or omegas—were to be kept safe at all costs.

Three cars were pulled to the back of the safe house, near the emergency exit.

Should the Alpha be unsuccessful in retrieving Jared, orders were in place: drive towards New Orleans with the fraction of their Pride and spread the word. Gather up forces, ask the elders, search for a solution. Dynamite had been laid down near the shoreline, where the Alpha built the second portal. If he failed and if all his betas fell, the Alpha was ready to detonate.

The dynamite would cause a blast that would buy Dustin and the rest some time to leave without being followed.

An addition of three betas, while clumsier and slower than their counterparts, helped beat down the swarm. Gannon led the carnage. He wore his pair of black gloves as he charged forward, grabbing throats, snapping necks, and shifting within seconds to claw at the carcass. He guided the fledgling betas and pointed to the first throat Jensen sunk his teeth into. Its mask was off. Although its features were twisted and covered in a slimy, yellow film Jensen still recognized its face.

They had enlisted breeders.

Enlisted or forced—Misha pointed out later. But what did it matter? The body swiped at Jensen all the same. He broke its left arm. His jaw lowered and the spray of blood that followed felt divine.

Shifting did not hurt. It only took him a while to figure it out, to tap into it and mold that new ability. Misha and Jeff had it down pat within a few days; Jensen struggled. He didn’t change back until Jared woke up, and instead of paws, they both discovered, his hands had returned. He could close his eyes now and open them to an entirely new world. One that had sharper vision, better hearing, faster reflexes, a tail that followed its own rules, and… a heightened sense of smell.

In a soft but tender tone, Jared listed off what would soon be in season. “Peaches, onions, green beans, cucumber, corn, blueberries, and apples…” Jensen closed his eyes. He didn’t hear rain. He didn’t hear crying. And for the first time in a long time, he did not hear any other voice except for the familiar one next to him, which held a thrum and a lull so sweet as it spoke about good land. However, even in his human state, Jensen could hear Jared’s breathing change. He opened his eyes.

Beside him on the pier sat a smaller, leaner cat with a dark coat and two lighter spots on either side of his muzzle.

Those were dimples. The cat cocked its head at Jensen’s staring.

He nearly fell into the lake.


	63. Written Down

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Alpha asks for the entire story--every last detail.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THANK YOU for your patience! <333 I got so caught up last month and this month that I had to let one fic slip aside and unfortunately it was this one. But here we go with a 5k update. I'll be spacing it out into chapters but finally it's here! :D
> 
> we are wrapping up and winding down! almost to 100k omg. 
> 
> thank you thank you THANK YOU for hanging in there with me! <3

In a small room, hours after Jared’s first shift, Nicky and Jared were asked to sit down.

The Alpha took his place across from them and set before them a blank journal.

“Tell me everything.”

He picked up a pen and started from the first page.

 

Where to begin?

From the start? Or the middle? Or the end?

Wherever was easiest.

Jared closed his eyes. He held onto Nicky’s hand and took a deep breath in.

 

Many questions would not be answered. Nothing for certain could be said of what had happened to the rest of the breeders in Meridian or any other part of that world. There were no signs of Masters being anything other than malformed creatures, driven mad by their greed and power; distorted by their attempts at accessing a world beyond their own without the proper methods. There would be no answer to the fate of Gannon’s beloved, hanging from her tree, or any other breeder they had left behind.

Not every question was meant to have an answer. That was one of the most difficult truths to accept.

Shutting the portal had meant sealing themselves in where nothing could leave or enter. The Aorta did not allow for looking back, over one’s shoulder in a moment of curiosity. However, it did provide a future. True knowledge of the world of Masters and breeders would remain in the memories of the three adult survivors from it in the Lake Claiborne Pride.

Some of that knowledge would die with them.

Not all was meant to be told to loving, caring and concerned audiences. Not every story of torture had to be told to them; not every tradition, not every instance of cruelty and suffering had to be expressed. It was written down in a book—imagine, that two breeders should have their lives put to paper—and locked away for the next Alpha to understand how precious their society truly was.

But it made for a good story, Jared quipped towards the end of it, tears falling freely.

Imagine—it was _their_ words and experiences that filled an entire journal.

The honor of it was overwhelming.

 

Amongst the unanswered mysteries was Charlie. How had the little one survived?

Where had he been placed?

What had old Jared been capable of?

 

One thing was painfully answered for certain.

Jared was not carrying a child. He never had been. The scent was gone. More than that, he could feel it in his bones, through the moon, and in his belly. No child had been there in this world. He questioned if there would ever be but Nicky quickly silenced him. It was bad omen to speak so ill of a possible life. He hoped she was right—that his body would settle into its new environment and adjust.

The scents on him that had changed throughout his time in Lake Claiborne had been part of the hallucinations. Indeed, they were the only hallucinations that had affected the members of the Pride, seeping in through their heightened senses and tricking even the Alpha to pick up the scent of an omega with child. The Alpha offered his deepest apologies, kneeling before Jared, the journal pushed aside before they began once more. Jared mentioned that it had been foolhardy of him to think that after all the stress he had placed on his body that it would be so ready to carry. It wasn’t the right time. Jared repeated that to himself nightly.

It wasn’t the right time.

 

Stabbing old Jared with the dagger had been the final cog in place.

Jared used to watch the grandfather clock in Master Eli’s main study. On nights when sleep was not easy, he could curl up on the floor at his Master’s feet and watch the little hand chase the big hand. Master Eli had explained that a clock worked in pieces—one component could not function without the other.

More than a way to psychologically sever the Masters’ hold on Jared, piercing old Jared had triggered additional events: Charlie had been released from his hiding place and Jared had shifted from breeder to omega without requiring the bite of an Alpha.

In all the time Ilia had been around Alphas, he had never heard of a human becoming a were without being bitten. It simply wasn’t done—there was no way. A bite was required to change biology. In a way, the Alpha had been right about Jared’s scent changing; he no longer smelled like someone related to an omega—like a breeder. He had the scent of omega through and through. It gave weight to the thought that Jared had been meant for the Pride and the link between breeder and omega had been a loop. Geographically, they were not the same worlds. But breeders and omegas were related. Old Jared must have seen that.

Nicky could not shift. Her body worked in much the same way it had always, only without controls.

However, she supplied good news. She did not require being bred to survive her heat. Three days had passed until her fever finally broke and the moon released its hold on her. What exactly she could expect for any other physical aspect in her body was unclear; she assured the Alpha that she would report any and all changes to either him or Dustin directly. It could be assumed, the three of them agreed, that although she could survive heats, she should expect much of the same rules to her body as she had lived by before. Her controls had not been changed before their escape; should she mate, she might carry a litter as large as any of her previous ones.

The Alpha assured both Nicky and Jared that large families were welcome at Lake Claiborne—theirs were to be no exception. In time they would learn how to space out litters and adapt to the new rhythm of their bodies.

Still… Jared pushed the thought of the little yellow room out of his mind.

 

Tea was served towards the end of their discussion.

The Alpha chimed in politely when an answer was pieced together based on what the three of them knew. Eloi had tampered with the landing site, resulting in Jensen and Gannon’s premature departure. When they got to the moment of the dogs rushing at Teo and Jared, it was the Alpha who provided answers there. The bullet in Teo’s leg had been dug out upon his arrival and Dustin had examined it. In an intricate design, runes covered the silver bullet. Jensen recognized them on paper when they were shown to him: they had been in prototype the last time he had seen them and one rune had been off, so it hadn’t worked. He pushed up his sleeve and showed Dustin the scar on his upper arm. Jensen had been shot there on an excursion; they had been ambushed by the military in those parts of space. The runes served as a block—lodged in the body of its victim it retained a hold on that body and prevented it from escaping via time travel.

With the final rune worked out, Jared and Teo had been shut out of the portal. Therefore, it had been something else that carried them across worlds.

“She is still out there,” Jared said to the Alpha, making direct eye contact.

“I know.” The Alpha set down his cup and saucer, then picked up his pen once more. “She always will be out there.”

It unsettled Jared to know that old Jared had made a deal with her; that he had had some kind of connection with the space witch. What kind of deal? What had been the terms? The Alpha reminded Jared that not all would be answered; they could only do the best with what they had before them. Old Jared had as many mysteries to him as the space witch herself. And Jared had no idea what to do with the few glimpses he had of old Jared’s decisions and actions. To the Alpha he related everything—old Jared had seen what would become of himself and he had rescued Cody the same way the Alpha had pulled Jared back—but what to say to Jensen?

“That is your decision,” Nicky reminded Jared gently.

Looking down at the ring on his hand, Jared gradually agreed.

It was his decision this time.

 

When the Alpha finished writing, he gave Nicky and Jared each a key to the lockbox he was placing it in. They could come and revisit what they had shared with him; they could edit, they could add, or they could entirely ignore it. They need not ask him for permission. It would remain for the next Alpha, as a document he hoped they would never need to make use of.

Jared slipped his key beside the dagger he kept on the inside of his thigh, strapped over his trousers.


	64. Purr

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jared learns the blues from the Pride; a sound returns in the midst of that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> second chapter coming right up! :D 
> 
> please tell me what you think. i want to make sure i get as many loose ends as possible. some things will have to wait for the third installment buuuut there's not that much that will be left hanging. 
> 
> i'm just so proud of these characters. ;w;

Two days after the last ashes were scattered, buried, sealed, and buried once more, on the shore of Lake Claiborne near the pier, Jared learned the blues.

He learned the Cajun blues, the Delta blues, and the New Orleans blues.

Beside the lake he was reintroduced to the guitar and its twang, which could go from joyful to mournful with a few expert strums of practiced hands. A banjo, harmonica, and saxophone were brought out by some of the betas. Each competed to play these instruments for the entertainment of the Pride. Although the banjo looked similar to the guitar it did not have the same range, at least to Jared’s ears. At first the harmonica frightened him—it sounded so shrill—but he was given the chance to play it and it tickled his mouth. The saxophone looked infinitely more complicated than any instrument but Gannon, who wrestled it back from one of the younger betas, played it as easily as whistling.

One rendition of a song called, “I Put a Spell on You,” was played as the Pride sat down for a feast. Even energetic cubs paused their romp through the sand to watch the band. An older male omega stood in front of the band and sang with a voice so expressive—scratchy, deep, and resonating—Jared found himself in tears by the end.

“Blues ain’t got no heart,” Ms. Deb explained to Jared, patting his knee, “if it ain’t got the voice to match.”

There had been ballads that breeders with the talent to sing had performed for Masters in inns and taverns. Some of the breeders in brothels had offered a session of song before service for a slightly higher price. But a breeder’s song was always limited; they either sang in mourning or in praise of their Masters. Every song this omega belted out over the stretch of warm sand and above the sound of the fire held a tinge of sorrow. From time to time there would be a tune of grieving over a lost love or a mate gone astray. But there were no hints of despair, no abysmal hopelessness that Jared had heard in the academy when older breeders gathered younger ones around, days before their own graduation, to pass on secret verses of what a smart breeder would do to stay alive.

None of that was there.

Those songs would remain only in Jared and Nicky’s memories.

He felt something fitting about that.

 

Shifting from human to cat was as natural to Jared as breathing. He could see the world through new eyes, though it was quickly overwhelming. If he wanted he could close his eyes and open them to find a long, elegantly curved tail. After some guidance from Teo and Ms. Deb, Jared figured out how to shift with and without clothing in those first few days. Amongst these many lessons, given by very patient omegas, Jared was also taught that omegas could shift while they carried litters without any harm to themselves or their children.

His children would be born omegas or betas.

If… if he had children.

Teo insisted that it was not a matter of if but when; Jared thanked him for the compliment but turned away at the mention of carrying. This new body would not feel completely like home to him for some time. Teo pressed on after a lesson, sitting beside the new omega in the sand where they had practiced—the same way Jensen had practiced before. “You are a blend of three worlds, Jared. Your body is responding to that the more you are here. If we were always meant to be related then you will find peace with yourself faster than you may expect.” Bumping their shoulders together, the older omega smiled. “Besides, you might even take this opportunity to learn more than just shifting. Summertime is filled with work around the Pride. I bet… there is the perfect place for in this Pride. You only need to find it.”

It felt so wrong to Jared, that he should not be bound by cycles or heats or quotas.

And if he was honest to himself, lying next to Jensen, both of them in their new forms, did not yet feel quite right yet. He wanted to be lie down next to Jensen with his belly full of life.

“There will be time for that,” Teo murmured, pressing a kiss to Jared’s cheek, sensing Jared’s concerns. “If there is one thing I learned from what we saw, it’s to never underestimate the power of time.”

Time would help Jared adjust to this world and all of its new practices, ideas, and beliefs. He could already see a change in his own mindset.

What was a breeder who didn’t breed?

A live one.

 

For the festivities, a fire had been set up with roasting spits. 

Generous, thick cuts of various meats were passed out in portions to everyone in attendance.

Charlie teetered back and forth from Nicky to Jared. The small one had taken to Jared as instantly and unconditionally as Suya had. In fact, both little ones could usually be found near Jared most times. Their delight in his company soothed a tender place in his heart.

Nicky received a portion of meat given to her by Misha, who was assisting a few of the omegas in charge of roasting the meats. Hot and crispy, the meat smelled wonderful; she blew on smaller pieces before passing them to Charlie, who had settled into Jared’s lap. Small hands happily took the cooled pieces of meat and thrust them into Jared’s mouth, intent on feeding him.

“Mmm,” Jared cooed and pressed his mouth to Charlie’s cheek. “Yummy, Charlie. Yes, thank you.” Another piece was less elegantly pushed against Jared’s mouth, which caused him to laugh.

Betas were on watch at all times throughout the Pride, no matter what the rest of the Pride might be doing. However, those on duty were not forgotten or underappreciated. Off duty betas ran back and forth in between bases with deliveries of meat and sweets until each base was taken care of. Two familiar betas returned from the Eastern side, knocking into each other, in a race to see who would reach the gathering first. Jared smiled and shook his head. Perhaps there would never be a complete understanding between his brother and his mate, but a start was a start.

Jeff made a handsome beta. He was on the larger size for a beta and certainly the largest cat amongst the three of their party that were betas. His coat and Jared’s looked similar, with the same markings near their mouths to represent their dimples. Similarities in coat denoted a particular bloodline; Jared’s coat was half a shade darker than Jeff’s. That was another fact that the Alpha pointed to about Jared’s fate. Jeff, being bitten by an Alpha, had adopted a shade of coat closer in resemblance to the rest of the Pride. Jared, not having been bitten, had a color to his coat different from the Pride. Gannon’s coat, on the other hand, resembled the coat of the Alpha who had bitten him. There were many things to learn—for everyone. 

Having by now grasped the process of shifting, Jeff’s cat form retained his broader frame and muscle. Those qualities earned him a small crowd of omegas rushing forward and offering him choice cuts of meat fresh from the spit. Jensen moved away from the hoard, though instead of joining Jared and Nicky, he made his way towards the band, tail swishing back and forth behind him.

Lighter melodies floated through as meat and sides were passed around. The blues shifted to reflect the status of the Pride at that moment. Food was plentiful and shared from family to family and cat to cat; chilled wine and juice was set out in buckets filled with ice. The tempo picked up for the next song and the omega singing began a flirtatious dance, shaking their shoulders, tempting betas near. Jared wiggled in his seat, trying his best not to disrupt Charlie from eating. Charlie clapped his hands and squealed when Jared bounced him. Pressing their noses together, Jared sang along with the older omega, moving Charlie’s hands playfully.

“The night ain’t over, baby. I got a lot of shaking to do. Won’t you come over baby, I wanna dance with you.” An inch of room was given so they could each shake along to the music. “I’m gonna make the night last forever,” Jared sang a little louder, smiling the entire time. “Dancing till the morning comes. Baby, I got something for you.” He poked Charlie’s middle. “So let me show you how it’s done!”

As far as Nicky could tell, Charlie did not remember anything about the carriage he had snuck into or his last moments with Cody.

It would remain that way, Nicky decided.

She would raise him according to the customs of the Pride. Although he was one of two Masters left, the word would never be mentioned to him when he came of age. Yesterday, a small faction of older betas had spoken to the Alpha about their concerns over both Masters—which was more dangerous? One who was older and who had fooled them about his past or one who would grow up not knowing the dangers he was capable of? The mention of Charlie being a threat to anyone ignited a series of debates. Nicky voiced that if those betas wanted to fear a child they could do so, but then they might as well call themselves Masters in the process.

No matter how much Misha vowed to protect and care for Charlie, Nicky knew that the little one would not immediately be accepted within the Pride. He would remain an outsider—as they all would—until more time passed. Although many members of the Pride had been kind to them, integration would not occur right away. Nicky feared the faction against both Masters would grow.

“Sleepy,” Charlie announced with a yawn, two minutes after the song ended and a slower tune took its place. Charlie’s warm body curled up against Jared’s chest. He wrapped his arms around Jared’s neck and nestled in for a nap. The rhythmic rise and fall of his breathing was met with another noise. Nicky noticed it first. She looked up and listened for a moment, her eyes searching for the source before landing on Jared. A smile and a kiss to Jared’s cheek were given.

“It _is_ you,” she murmured, closing her eyes and remaining close to him as her son. She smelled sweet; she had her hair pulled back in a simple tie, and she wore a pastel pink dress made of simple cloth. There were traces of grief in her eyes if Jared looked deep enough. He knew his eyes revealed the same flecks but none of it held much weight in that moment. Another kiss to his cheek and she ran a hand through his hair and Charlie’s. “You’re purring,” was whispered to him.

There it was: as easy and natural and unique to Jared as he had remembered it. The vibrations in his chest and throat instantly triggered a soothing sensation that washed over him. He held Charlie close and purred loud and fine.

It made the most pleasing sound out of everything around him. Jared closed his eyes and thanked those that had watched over him when he needed it the most. Charlie nuzzed Jared’s chin and hung onto him a little tighter.

Jared wasn’t sure how they had survived.

But he was glad that they had.


	65. Littermates

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Alpha presents Nicky with a question regarding Charlie.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> third update right on up! 
> 
> just... it meant a lot to me that jared is the one giving nicky advice in this scene, even if it's in such a simple act. 
> 
> thank you so much for reading! :D

Another portion of meat was offered to Nicky. This time, it was from the Alpha himself. In one hand he held a dish of fresh venison off the spit; under his other arm he held a sleeping, surprisingly calm Suya.

“May I join you?” the Alpha asked, carefully handing the dish to Nicky.

With the news of the faction, Nicky had kept her distance from the Alpha. However, she knew to be civil. A simple nod was given and the Alpha settled in alongside them on the log that served as a sitting place, sitting to Nicky’s left while Jared remained on her right. Suya was set down in the sand, rolling over and stretching out, his tail swishing before it curled up with him. He continued to sleep, just as Charlie did, despite the noise of the band and everyone gathering to eat, talk, and share news. A large group from the New Orleans Pride would arrive in a few hours after many miles of travel; Teo would introduce them to Jared and the rest of their party. It was unclear whether or not their Alpha would be amongst that group.

Suya’s belly was scratched before the Alpha sat back and looked out towards the lake.

His attention soon turned to Nicky. He spoke with a soft voice, a rarity from him. “I… I spoke with the last of the faction today. And I think it necessary to set a few things straight between you and me. Well, between all of us.” The Alpha’s eyes were kinder as they looked towards Jared and Charlie. “Part of an Alpha’s responsibilities is to allow anyone freedom of speech. I must be present to give audience to the concerns of my Pride.” He took in a deep breath. “However, this does not mean that I must agree with every concerned voiced. I listened, I thought a few things over, and I have made my decision.”

“Convenient,” Nicky snipped, bristling. She held out her arms for Jared to pass Charlie over. With a bit of hesitance, Jared did. He understood her need to have Charlie near. He gave one last squeeze to the child before he was returned to his mother’s protective hold.

Without sourness, the Alpha nodded. “I get it. From one parent to another, I do. And…” he sighed and for a moment, he relaxed as he hadn’t done in their presence since they had met him on the same shore not so long ago. “I am not a perfect Alpha. No Alpha ever is. I can only do the best I know how, guided by the patience of my mate and Pride. After speaking to these betas… I have realized a few things. Your arrivals… well, I look back now and I know that I could have handled it differently. I…” he looked to both of them. “I apologize for that. There is much I can improve upon.”

Jared wondered how he might have acted had the opposite happened, had an omega shown up in his world. He wondered what Eli would have to say of the customs and practices of the Pride; he wondered what kind of beta he would have made. The only answer to Charlie’s questions about where Eli and Cody were had been a brief explanation that Nicky moved herself and Charlie to be with new friends. Being an obedient and respectful child by nature, Charlie did not question his mother any further than that. It would have to be a satisfactory end for the time being.

Half asleep, Charlie murmured that he wanted something to drink. Before Nicky could get up, Jared left his place and walked over to the nearest bucket with chilled jars of juice. He tried to get a jar that was not so submerged in ice and held it between his hands to take the chill off. On his way back he heard a few snippets of conversation exchanged between Nicky and the Alpha.

“…no reason to think that he can’t have littermates…”

“…your opinion only goes so far,” Nicky replied simply. “You have littermates here and I’ve seen the dynamics. Families that are close raise each other’s kittens and children. Do you think any one of your omegas has offered the same respect since his arrival?”

“They are cautious. We all need time.”

“So my child will play alone?” She had not lost her directness. There was something a little harder about her when Jared had returned. First of all, she had mourned for him. She too, had done a death wail when Jensen and Gannon had crawled through the landing location without either Jared or Teo. In the time Jared had been back she was as careful with him as she was with Charlie. After shifting, she held him near for the longest time, smoothing out his fur, crying into the thickness of it. The tears were complicated and Jared didn’t have to ask for an explanation.

Returning, Jared passed along the jar of juice, murmuring to Charlie not to drink it so fast. He looked every bit like Nicky, with the same skin tone, the same black hair, and the same green eyes. Whoever her Master had been when she had been bred in the kennels had left no trace in Charlie. Jared knew that it was a blessing his older companion did not take for granted.

For the moment, the food between the three of them remained untouched. Charlie offered his jar of juice to Jared, who took a small sip to appease him and handed it back carefully. Nicky brushed Charlie’s hair back. Jared took his seat on her right once more as the Alpha started to speak again.

“I’ll admit that my visit has another motive.” A scratch behind the ears was given to Suya, who let out a noise halfway between a purr and a meow. “It would make us both very happy if Charlie was Suya’s littermate.”

When an answer from Nicky was not immediately given, the Alpha murmured that he could understand her trepidation. He assured her that Charlie would have a littermate his own age—he would see to that—but if Suya could be an acceptable companion for the time being, the Alpha would like nothing better. Of course, if Nicky requested, the Alpha could have the kitten’s claws filed down a little, if safety was her concern.

It was Jared who nudged Nicky gently with his elbow. She turned to look at him and they exchanged silent words as they had done at Eli’s. She bit her bottom lip and looked at her son, who responded with a smile and an offer to share his jar of sweet, cool juice.

After taking a deep breath, Nicky nodded. She quietly accepted the Alpha’s offer.

And that was that.


	66. Po'boys

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Misha invites Jensen over; their conversation is simpler than Jensen expects.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> in this verse, a lot of traditional Cajun foods exist. i don't exactly know how that works but for the sake of my sanity it does because i said so. XD
> 
> this was a really quiet chapter. i wrote a few takes on it and decided that the simpler it was the better option. in the end, i'm happy with this minimalist tone. i hope that you can get everything from it still--what it means that Jensen no longer responds to Captain, and his gesture towards the end of the chapter. 
> 
> i know that many people were not fans of Jensen in It Takes. it wasn't really the point of that story to make Jensen a good person. Your Law gives us his perspective in addition to jared's but his character growth is much slower than Jared's. i think it makes it more realistic. also, i love it when relationships outside of the main pairing are affected as well because they are just as important and when you look at everything that Misha's done for Jensen and Jared well, he totally deserve this moment.
> 
> okay enough rambling--enjoy!

Jensen:

A few hours before the festivities were set to start, Misha asked Jensen to stop over at his residence for lunch. All Jensen had to do was walk to the household next door.

“I’m making catfish po’boys,” Misha explained as Jensen stepped into the kitchen. “Ms. Deb gave me the recipe and I’m eager to replicate it for Charlie. You have the privilege of being my very first test subject.” There was a mess in the kitchen that Jensen was sure Nicky would cut Misha for, but the smell of catfish frying shifted his attention. Thick, generous fillets were dipped, coated, and carefully dropped into a pan full of hot oil. Freshly made loaves of bread were sliced and ready for the fish. Sharp blue eyes monitored each of the four fillets placed down in the pan. Spicy mayonnaise, pickles, and lettuce lined each piece of bread. Misha managed not to burn himself when he flipped over the fillets and later transferred them out of the pan and onto the bread.

Each sandwich was wrapped in newspaper. Misha handed one to Jensen with a warning, “It’s hot.”

Of course, Jensen ignored that warning and took a large bite without letting the fillet cool. He chewed with his mouth open, huffing and whining, but moaning from the taste of it as it singed his taste buds.

Out on the back porch, they sat down and ate.

Both of them licked mayonnaise off their fingers.

In between bites, Misha looked over at Jensen.

“Captain?”

Jensen’s shoulders bristled at the title. His eyes met Misha’s.

Misha smiled and went back to his sandwich. “Good.”

“What?” Jensen demanded, taking another large bite of his lunch. Quietly, he added that if Misha toned down the mayo, Charlie would not have a problem eating a po’boy.

There was a long moment of silence between them.

Not everything had to be expressed in words. Misha was smart enough to know that every time Jensen brought him fish from the pier after a shift it was Jensen’s way of making amends. It was his way of silently thanking Misha for… well, for everything. It was no longer a thank you for joining him on the journey and leaving everything and everyone behind—that had been difficult yes, but it wasn’t about that anymore. Jensen’s gratitude had evolved.

With the rest and care afforded to him from the past few days, Misha looked better than Jensen remembered him ever looking. His friend had always been a peaceful individual, steady and calm, but there was something deeper, something Jensen had begun to understand for himself.

Their feet in the grass and the sandwiches gone, the sounds of the Pride drifted in and out.

A breeze fluttered past.

Misha took a deep breath and closed his eyes, basking in the sun.

“You’ve changed, Jensen. I am pleased.”

He was right.

 

Jensen moved over and embraced Misha tightly.

“Thank you,” Jensen whispered.


	67. Fortissimo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A beta sings a song for an omega.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh nooooooooooo. D8
> 
> this is... i mean... oh god. /cries/ 
> 
> it is ALWAYS difficult for me to end a fic. truly. but this verse--y'all omg. this verse. i can't express how much this verse means to me and all of the characters in it. i can't believe that we have all come this far and so much has happened. i hope, hope, HOPE that i've captured all of that here in this chapter and the epilogue coming up next. 
> 
> this fic has been a tremendous challenge for me. it's difficult keeping everything flowing, remembering all the little and big things to work in and settle. this was also a challenge to me as a writer: i am not typically a sci-fi/fantasy writer. It Takes was in my head for years, so it flowed onto paper much easier. Your Law has been the product of a demand for more. piece by piece i've worked this all together and... and... here we are. it's... woah. 
> 
> although it's taken me a while, here is your end to this fic. 
> 
> i thank you for reading and hanging in there. thank you for inspiring this sequel. thank you for everything! i appreciate you guys so much. <3
> 
> if you're reading, please take a little time to comment? it would make me very happy. :D
> 
> epilogue is next. <3 enjoy!
> 
> (oh! two things: i hope i got the music terms right? i'm not a musician. please let me know if they don't quite fit! also, the song here, which made me BAWL, is "dust to dust" by the civil wars.)

Both children had woken up and Jared was elated to have their company once more.

Instruments were being tuned and the band members were switching out so that everyone could enjoy the food being passed around. Jared chased Suya away from a few of the roasting fires, eventually scooping the kitten up and wrestling him into a hold despite the whines and wiggles of protest. Set down once more, Suya pawed at Jared’s legs, following after him and meowing to be held in Jared’s arms.

“First you did not want me to pick you up, even though you were in danger,” Jared murmured, reaching down and hefting up the kitten. “But now, you want nothing more than to be in my good graces.”

Agreeing, Suya licked Jared’s nose and settled into his place in Jared’s arms. His tail swished in warning whenever it felt like Jared might put him down. Jared laughed into the kitten’s fur and held onto him a little tighter. The Alpha had just mentioned to Jared that in the summer, most of the Pride preferred to sleep outside as it felt cooler, especially in their cat forms. If Jared ever felt an inclination to do so, the Alpha offered him a choice patch of grass near his household, complete with a needy little kitten that would very much enjoy his company.

“You can keep him,” Mioh chirped, approaching Jared with a bowl of peeled and diced fruit. “I don’t really need a little brother and mom won’t notice. Dad might, but I can distract him.”

Laughing, Jared shook his head. “He would miss you.”

“Well, maybe as his chew toy.” Mioh held up his arm. “See how much he got me while you were gone? Jerk. Mom didn’t even punish him. But I sneak out past curfew _one_ night out of the entire year and I get grounded for two weeks!” With a huff, Mioh shook his head. “Anyway, I was told to ask you to get a seat up front by the band.”

“But I…”

“I’ll take him. You just go sit.” Suya was passed over to his sibling, who let out a yelp the moment he was bitten. “Hey man, mom isn’t around so you better behave or I’ll…” Mioh walked away muttering but nothing harmful was being done to the kitten. Jared sighed and shook his head. He fixed the sleeves of his shirt and started walking through the rows of logs. His boots pushed against the sand easily. The boots were fashioned out of a lighter material than most of the cats wore and the heel was not as high as the Alpha or Mioh preferred to wear. Jensen had them made by one of the betas who specialized in making footwear for the Pride. Halfway between a slipper and a boot, Jared enjoyed the feel of them.

He had not burned his slippers as Gannon had done with his gloves.

With a piece of fine cloth he picked out from Ms. Deb’s collection, Jared wrapped them up and set them to rest at the bottom of his drawer. One day, he might bring them out, just for a story.

That day could wait.

 

There was no accurate way that Jared could describe shifting. It was unlike anything he had ever experienced. It was also easier than he had anticipated. Although his paws and tail were still new to him, he retained his balance, even while jumping. He was smaller in form than Jensen, but that was not necessarily a bad thing. It made him more flexible and gave him speed.

Just like the cats he had once pet in the marketplace in Meridian, Jared discovered a fondness for grooming himself. His coat was soft, silk-like, and shiny. What gave him even more joy was grooming Jensen’s coat, especially behind the beta’s ears. Jensen pretended to put up a fight, but when Jared started licking his whiskers, the beta’s tail stopped swishing and a purr that was not Jared’s could be heard.

Cats had a way of communicating between each other in that form. To Jared, it sounded like there were voices in his head and it took more getting used to than anything else. For another cat to hear their message, the speaking cat had to purposefully think of their message being sent to that cat. That way, messages were not crossed. Teo put it this way for Jared: “If you want Jensen to hear something, you have to think of him before you send the message. You don’t necessarily have to be looking at him for him to receive a message, got it? You could be in another room or very far away. But you have to make sure you think of him _before_ the message or it won’t get through.”  

Receiving a message was like someone whispering into Jared’s ears. It felt odd. He didn’t like it very much and preferred for them not to speak in their cat forms. Body language and movements were enough. A shake of their heads or a swish of their tails and Jared could gather enough from that to understand yes or no. Teo assured him that soon enough it would feel more natural, like anything else, and Jared would wonder how he ever got on without it.

In human form, Jared could not hear those communications, nor could he send ones like it. Human form was limited in terms of strength and ability, but there were a fair share of Pride members who spent most of their time in it instead of their cat forms. The Alpha did not require anyone to spend any certain amount of time in either form, so long as they were comfortable.

An entire society was waiting for Jared.

There were omega hunts to go on. There were community dinners to participate in. There were miles and miles of forest to explore and smell and scratch his claws on.

There was an entire world just for him and his family to thrive in.

There was a place for him to grow up in.

There was a place for him to be free.

 

A seat had been saved for Jared on a log that was up front and in the center. It provided what some of the omegas around him called, “the best seat in the house.” Jared thanked them and settled in, making a little room for Nicky and Charlie when they appeared a minute later. Charlie reached over and ran his hands through Jared’s hair, cooing and sighing happily as he was spread out between his mother and Jared.

“You’ll spoil him,” Nicky whispered with a smile, her eyes meeting Jared’s. “Worse than Misha, I fear.”

Kisses were pressed to Charlie’s cheeks. “Oh, yes,” Jared replied softly. “Every day and all the time.”

She slipped an arm around Jared and pulled them all three of them close together.

The log was no porch swing.

It was comfortable all the same.

 

Betas competed for the chance to play an instrument in front of a crowd. They enjoyed the attention from prospective mates in addition to providing the Pride with entertainment. After wrestling in the sand, a tawny beta lost to a jet-black omega. Shifting back, both of them panting, Jensen and Gannon stumbled towards each other and shook hands. A quick pat on the back to Jensen was given and the guitar was generously handed over.

Gannon would live the rest of his life as a hybrid of two worlds—just as the rest of their party would.

Lake Claiborne was not home to the skyscrapers of Lee or Maya; it was not home to technology like gliders or time travel. There were no vast properties or estates or cities packed with people.

There were no carriages.

There were no chains.

Jared’s shadow flickered against the sand. He made no mention of it and touched the ring on his finger; his shadow settled.

One day, Jared might row out into the middle of the lake and face his fear of the water. As Jared had once been forcefully held down in a full tub, Nathaniel had laughed, “It takes a lot of water to teach you a lesson.”

How wonderful the lake looked at sunset.

And even more wonderful still, was the man who stood in front of it, holding a guitar, searching for Jared in the crowd before Jared raised his hand and waved.

The songs between old Jared and old Jensen—yes, that fit—had all been sung in private.

Before the guitar could start, Jared closed his eyes and drew in a deep breath. He thanked the moon and the dark red roses and the care of the soil that protected what would always remain precious to him.

Nicky kissed him.

Not to be out done by his mother, Charlie followed soon after, clapping his hands over Jared’s cheeks.

Laughing, Jared thanked them both for the affection and turned his attention to the beta who had just finished tuning his instrument and checking with the rest of the band. Could they do this tune? Did they understand the rhythm? Were they ready to start?

What Ms. Deb said about the blues needing a voice flit through Jared’s mind as the band began to play. It was a softer tune, slower, layered in its emotions. At first it sounded sad but the guitar picked it up, lifted the melody out of sorrow and added something Jared heard Jensen refer to as _allegro_.

Jensen guided the band with each strum of the guitar.

And finally, the voice was added.

“It’s not your eyes, it’s not what you say. It’s not your laughter that gives you away. You’re just lonely. You’ve been lonely, too long.” Slow, slow, slow. _Adagio._ Just a taste of what he could sound like—of the strength and talent behind his voice. Higher than most thought it would be, Jensen’s voice remained steady. The Pride quieted. The saxophone rose out of the background. _Accelerando_.

“Let me in the wall, you’ve built around. We can light a match and burn it down. Let me hold your hand and dance ‘round and ‘round the flames in front of us.” Jensen’s lungs pushed out his voice across the sand. He closed his eyes and stopped worrying. The band followed easily at that point and the guitar responded to Jensen’s fingers naturally. The chords in the song mixed patterns from the blues played earlier with progressions of something else, something new, something hopeful. Even the harmonica added to the blend—expressive and raw. “You’ve held your head up. You’ve fought the fight. You bear the scars. You’ve done your time. Listen to me. You’ve been lonely, too long.”

All those nights spent chained to a post and looking up at the sky came back to Jared.

If he dwelled in his memories, they threatened to pull him back.

 _Diminuendo_.

The band quieted.

It wasn’t only Jared that Jensen sang about.

On the other side of the universe, Jensen had also looked to the stars.

“You’re like a mirror, reflecting me. Takes one to know one,” Jensen sang His eyes met Jared’s. He smiled and shook his head. “So take it from me.” The saxophone and the guitar worked together for a moment until it was only the guitar and Jensen’s voice.

 _Fortissimo_.

“We’ve been lonely. We’ve been lonely, too long.”

 

As the last string on the guitar finished its vibration, Jared leapt up from his seat.

A thousand times.

He would obey this law of gravity a thousand times.


	68. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jared finds his place.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> /sniffs/ this is it! the end. fin. no mas. 
> 
> well, i mean... i have entire world set up with werecats... and... 
> 
> babies. XD
> 
> so not the final-complete-nuh-uh-end. 
> 
> but the end of a long, difficult journey. <3
> 
> honeysuckle has a special meaning to it--undying love. it's my belief that we don't always end up with the people who are initially the best for us. we grow, we change, we transform into the people we wanted to be. neither jensen or jared are perfect--they never were. in time, their relationship will be more balanced. we get a glimpse of that here. 
> 
> the point is, is that it's important to notice that the last line. compare it to the first line of It Takes.
> 
> Edit: I forgot! Remember the art I had done by Papp? That's what the picture is of! I'll link later. :D
> 
> enjoy. i hope you find as much peace here as i did. thank you.

A young omega could be seen walking through the gardens, quietly naming every flower he passed.

Monkshood. Larkspur. Bachelor buttons.

Dressed in a pair of light trousers and a shirt, the omega stopped in front of thick, healthy bush of white honeysuckle. It was his favorite; that was obvious by the care he took and the smile that lit up his eyes. A picture would be taken later, the print of which would be kept near him at all times.

Kneeling down, he reached for his watering can and began humming a happy tune.

He had turned fourteen years old two nights before.

As he watered with care, his mate snuck up from behind and embraced him tightly.

The omega laughed, clear and without worry. In the picture, his smile would be captured beautifully. 

Playfully, he pushed away his mate and insisted that he would return to their home just as soon as this was done. His mate stole a kiss, which deepened quickly. After a moment and with a purr, the omega promised something for later.

“But _later_ ,” he squealed, held just as close as before. “Jensen, later!”

 

Sharing their bed would have to wait.

It was, after all, his choice to tend to the gardens.


End file.
